The Frozen Khronicles
by KtyouVsWriting
Summary: Seeking to find peace for his crimes, Hanzo Hasashi travels far from his home to find answers. He does not reveal the power that still lurks within, because in this land, people will see him as a monster. Very few have the ability to understand a monster, but Elsa is not like others. She knows what it means to be called a monster, but she also how to stop being one through love.
1. Chapter 1: And so it Begins

Chapter 1: And So it Begins

 **Southern Isle**

 **February 27 1847**

Hanzo Hasashi climbed up the mast further. Any normal man would be rather exhausted from climbing these things multiple times, especially with the sort of travelling that he did himself. However, Hanzo was not a normal man. He had trained in such intense environments like these before, pushed limits to another limit. It was very early in his training years that he was exposed to the harsh elements of winter and summer, so many years ago. In a lot of ways, he mourned for the life he once had. Those were some of the most happiest days of his life.

Wherever did those happy days go, Hanzo wondered very much. The day his clan died? The day he died? The day he became a Revenant?

The Shirai Ryu ninja did not wish to remember his time as a Revenant. That time had brought him nothing but pain and misery and suffering. He had committed sins beyond word, and for that, he felt that he would never truly be forgiven. That was why he was here, away from his home. He needed to find some sort of answer to his dilemma that he suffered still.

The decision to leave his homeland and travel far and wide was a decision that Hanzo had considered very carefully. After his return to life and after his avenging of his family with Quan Chi's blood, he sought to somehow redeem himself, to atone for sins long gone. As he tried to make peace with all of his enemies, especially the Lin Kuei warrior Kuai Liang, or Sub-Zero, he found that remaining in his homeland, where he was born, and where he had lived for most of life, no longer appealed to him.

Whenever Hanzo remained, all that he saw was his ultimate downfall, the death of his wife and son. Despite his desire to see them returned to life and to resume a life that he wanted, he knew it was long gone. That life was forsaken when he killed the elder Sub-Zero. That was when he chose vengeance over his family. That was why he left. Hanzo needed Japan to find a new reason to live.

So he grabbed his twin katanas, his kunais, and a few knives, a very light load of supplies. He was quick to burn his attire as the undead spectre Scorpion and was quick to replace it with a costume reminiscent of his time before his transformation. It was a simple outfit with a hood and mask. He would certainly garner attention in some areas, but Hanzo would not mind the publicity, and if someone gave him trouble, he could dispatch them with his ninja skills. If authorities questioned him, he would simply argue with them until they gave up.

He would not use his powers, or try not to use them if it could be helped. They were still useful to him, but he knew that anyone with powers in this world were looked down upon, and the last thing he wanted was to be ridiculed everywhere he went.

Hanzo had been travelling for the better part of two months now. He had travelled across the vast expanses of China, past countries of all strange customs and livings. It was strange to travel to these places of so many different things and yet still be able to understand the conversation as if he spoke the languages. It did not make sense when he initially began, but as he thought about it, there was only one explanation. Since Hanzo was still connected to the powers of the Netherrealm, he must draw upon the skills of other dead people who spoke the language. Nevertheless, it was useful.

For some of the time, Hanzo stuck to the wilderness, occasionally crossing into towns. There were many physical challenges that reminded him of his training. Often times, he would find that he would have to ration food when travelling long distances without a building in sight.

There were the occasional bandits or thugs that attempted to take his things, and he was usually quick to dispatch these miscreants. Sometimes, when the first was defeated, the others would cower in fear. In his past days, Hanzo might have killed them on the spot, but now, he gave them one warning, and most of them heeded his warning.

In the event that innocents were under attack, not him, he would not hesitate to dispatch the offenders. This was especially the case when families were under attack. Hanzo knew the pain of losing family. He did not wish for anyone else to know that pain if he had anything to say about it. When he saved these innocents, they usually offered him some coin, which he graciously accepted due to the fact that he needed coin in order to purchase needed supplies if the wilderness could not provide for him.

The most memorable city that he passed through was this place called Paris in the nation known as France. The city was massive and Scorpion had never seen anything like it before. It was positively abound with things to do. People of all sorts were there, and he could hear the languages of all sorts of people around him. It was in largely populated areas that he asked about the land that the people lived in. Everyone was eager to tell him, through some were wary of him initially.

The one thing that brought much dismay to Hanzo was the fact that children flocked to him. This was due to his own physical appearance: a ninja heavily armed and equipped. The Shirai Ryu ninja would never dismiss a child and would take the time to indulge children who came to him. Often times, he would leave the little ones with words of wisdom and words that would allow them to be strong. Once people saw his calm nature, they would instantly forget all scorn towards him. None dared to ever directly spit any sort of insult towards him. Even though his face was hidden by a mask and his head by a hood, people knew he was not of their origin.

Hanzo's travels still did nothing to quell his mind. No matter what he learned, no matter who he talked to, no matter who he spoke to, no matter what he chose to participate in, no matter his actions, he still could not find any sort of peace.

So he continued to travel, and now, he was heading to the next kingdom. There were quite a few kingdoms within this particular region of the map. This next one was called the Southern Isles. Apparently, he had heard from talking to others that this kingdom was at odds with another neighboring kingdom called Arendelle. For what reason, he did not know yet, but he intended to find out.

The ship he was on was another trade ship. He had been fortunate enough that the captain of the ship was willing to let him come aboard and travel for a discount price. Hanzo also insisted that he be able to help the crew, and the captain seemed to appreciate it.

Now Hanzo stood in the crow's nest, as the crew members had named it. He could make out the distinctive castle which was likely suited to housing the nobles of this land. There were numerous buildings that lined the surrounding area. This was no doubt a busy trading port. There were already numerous ships here. Lots of them hailed from different places across the world. The flags were the clear indication of that.

Once they were docked, Hanzo quickly descended from the ramp, making certain to leave the captain with some extra coin, a tip, that was what it was called.

There was a greeter that was waiting for visitors at the docks. Despite Hanzo's gear, the man quickly greeted him.

"Welcome to the Southern Isles," he said "I take it that you're not from these parts?"

"No I am not," the ninja confessed, "I hail from a land far from here."

"As I can see," the man commented, "The kingdom welcomes you to this place. If you wish to trade, then tread lightly. Prices have been fluctuating a lot lately."

"Is this because of the recent differences with the kingdom of Arendelle," Hanzo asked, "I have heard from others that there are some tensions."

"Yes," the man sighed, "One of the king and queen's sons, Prince Hans, was sent to Arendelle during the queen's coronation. The prince was said to have attempted murder upon the queen."

"For what end," Hanzo inquired.

"For his own. Suffice it say that Hans is now serving a punishment. It may surprise you that he now works for the common folks now to learn humility. He is a bit shorter than yourself. Brown hair, green eyes. As I said, he might be working today out in the markets, he might not."

"What else can you tell me about the kingdom?"

"Apart from our relationship with Arendelle," the man continued, "We host a variety of different guests here. This is one of the largest royal families in the entirety of Europe. Every year, dignitaries and royals from all around come to visit. Our market hosts a variety of various items from our various trade partners. If you wish, take a look."

"Thank you," Hanzo bowed, "I won't keep you further."

"Of course…"

Before the man could get his name, Hanzo took off. He wanted not to get too involved with anyone. He was friendly certainly, but he was not privy to revealing his name. He would keep that one to himself. His problems were his own.

As expected, he got several looks but he simply just did what he did naturally: look around at his surroundings as he walked by.

One thing he did notice from all of this travelling through Europe was that these people conformed to the idea that no part of the body was to be exposed in public. It made sense given that most of these people would not live a life of physical training as he had. His exposed biceps were likely part of his attention.

Hanzo's musings were interrupted as he was approached by several similarly-dressed men. Judging by their weapons, they were guards. He steeled himself for the inevitable conflict to ensure.

"Thugs aren't welcome here," one deadpanned.

"Do I appear to be harassing anyone," the ninja reasoned, "Have I done something to offend you?"  
"You haven't done anything," another said, "But a heavily-armed man like yourself doesn't just go places and brandish weapons for show."

"They are for my defense," Hanzo rationalized, "I have travelled far and wide to come here."

"Yes," another snarked, "We can definitely see that. No one dresses like that."

"I merely come here to explore, nothing more. I have not done anything and I do not plan to commit a crime. If you insist on perpetuating that notion, then we will be here for a long time bickering pointlessly."

The guards were seemingly aggressive, and Hanzo had to remain calm and composed. It was easy for his part, but this time, he did not give any sort of hostile retaliation. Just talk to them until they grew bored. That was his plan.

"I would not be so wise with my mouth if I were you," another warned, "There are many of us and only one of you."

"You accuse me of a crime I have not committed." Hanzo said, "There is no basis from which you speak of. I will keep saying the same thing."

He made no movements in his body. He simply waited for them to believe him, and this time, it seemed he would be spared an unnecessary inspection and interrogation.

"We'll be watching you," the captain said, "Don't do anything stupid."

With that the guards dispatched, and Hanzo realized that a crowd was watching. After he twisted his head to look around, everyone immediately stopped staring and pretended that they had not been staring.

Hanzo Hasashi shook his head and continued on his journey to the markets…

 **-[ X ]-**

 **Arendelle**

Arendelle was once more a place that was open. It had taken the better part of more than ten years for it to do so, but the past was now far away from everyone now. More importantly, it was far away from the still newly-crowned Queen Elsa.

Life had taken an unexpected but also joyous spin for Elsa. For one, she was free of the fear of her own powers. For another, Anna was no longer in danger of death, and after this experience, Elsa vowed to never allow any sort of distance between herself and her sister. It amazed Elsa, in many ways, how much her sister loved her, and that love made her realize how much that she would be willing to do the same for Anna. And third, the Kingdom of Arendelle was now no longer afraid of her. Now that she had dispelled winter, the people had seen that she wasn't a monster, but a girl who was misled, and now they had come to accept her as their ruler.

Life was becoming better and better with each passing day. With Anna now part of her life just like as a child, Elsa was now confident that she could forge a far more happier life than ever before. Anna was also elated with her sister back. Although they were not children anymore, they certainly had fun together with each other whenever the chance presented itself. Some of their time together was spent trying to piece together the things regarding their parents, a subject that was not as painful to talk about as in past years, but still something that was sad to think about. Elsa had taught Anna how to skate and now her sister had become really good at it. They both spent time in the village areas, talking to people, being active with the people. They talked a lot with Olaf and Kristoff as well, as Anna wanted them both in their lives very much.

Olaf was someone she immediately accepted because she created him and his personality reflected exactly on the personality that bother her and Anna created for him so many years ago. He was a sort of councilor for all of their troubles, and whenever any of them needed to talk, he was there. He was a good listener and offered advice whenever possible, but he wasn't perfect. He was, after all, a snowman, and not always knowledgeable about a lot of things, but he tried at least, and that's what mattered. He travelled a lot, exploring the world around him when not at the castle, so he was always doing something.

Kristoff was a little more difficult to get use to. While Elsa could see that he was a polite and selfless individual, it wasn't these things that worried her, but his relationship with Anna was what worried her. It didn't really matter to her that he wasn't of noble or royal origin, and quite frankly, Elsa wanted Anna to remain away from nobles and royalty suitors for a long time, to which Anna shared her sentiment.

It had taken the better part of months of watching them together to convince her that Kristoff's intentions were good. She knew now that they both cared and loved each other, and better yet, he had not yet proposed to her, and neither of them seemed to be in a rush to do so, and that was pleasing for her. Still, she thought that the two would be willing to spend the rest of their lives with each other. Apart from his duties as the Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer, which he took seriously, he spent time with Anna in the village. The time they spent together was further proof of his genuine care for her sister.

Her care was strong for not only her sister and her two best friends, but the people that looked to her to lead them and help them was what drove her forward. Her concern for herself came after Anna and the people were served first. Really she sometimes neglected herself in favor of making sure that everyone else had been attended to first, but that was her duty as the Queen of Arendelle.

Strangely enough, like Kristoff, Elsa had taken a liking to his reindeer, Sven. At first, it was strange the way that the man talked to his companion, but now it did make more sense, as Elsa had seen Sven communicate with those eyes of his. They were very expressive. Sometimes, whenever Kristoff wasn't around, she would go to Sven and talk to him. Elsa was probably crazy for doing it, but she felt that he could be honest with her and that even if he couldn't talk, he could listen. Sven was a friend, and Elsa didn't really have a problem with it, but saying it out loud wasn't what she wanted to do. She didn't need to announce it, because he was her little secret getaway from her usual routine.

Her duties as the queen. although requiring a great deal of work and time, were still things she gladly took on. In the past year ever since the Great Thaw, as it was now called, she had worked hard to maintain relationships and trade with kingdoms and places that would benefit the people of Arendelle. She was aware of the dangers of some kingdoms since her recent ascension to the throne.

Elsa was no fool; some kingdoms still eyed the throne next to her, for she was still without a king, and what better way to gain power than to have a queen who could wield magical abilities that could potentially cause ruin. Elsa knew this, and she was determined not to be used as a tool. She was her own person, and no one would take that away from her.

The thought of marriage and having a husband were things she honestly was not ready for at all and she was rather uncertain about it; love was not something she was too versed in. Anna would know more about it than her, and even Olaf might know more than herself, and yet, she had used love to control her powers. She was probably over thinking this too much. Besides, with all the suitors that still asked for her hand, she honestly needed a break from thinking about marriage. It wasn't something she was interested in at this time.

Maybe one day, if the right person came along, she would be more considerate of the idea, but right now, Anna, her friends, and Arendelle came first.

Her work was interrupted when Anna came bursting into the room, her dress slightly out-of-shape, probably due to her running around the halls and being somewhat energetic. Honestly, Elsa had no idea where her sister got all of this energy, but she must have travelled quite a distance or did it really fast seeing as she was out of breath. Elsa couldn't help but laugh at her sister. It just looked too funny. The princess was quick to recover from her exhaustion though and threw a wide grin at her older sister.

"Yes Anna," she said calmly, shaking her head.

"Hey," Anna gasped for air, "I just got this brilliant idea. You need to take a vacation"

"So you came up here just to tell me about a vacation that I need to take," Elsa asked amusingly, "Can't you see I'm a bit busy Anna?"

"Come on," Anna exclaimed, "You've been working nonstop since your corronation Elsa. You need a vacation."

"Anna," she sighed, "I'm the Queen of Arendelle. The people look to me to lead them, and I must always be there. I couldn't take a break even if I wanted to."

"Then maybe you should at least throw some more events for the people," Anna says, "I do all the going around town and greeting people. The kids would love it if you threw them some wild event."

"Maybe, but we need to keep our trade stable in order to have these events," Elsa replies, beginning to relent.

"Then how about this," Anna offered, "Take a break, for now."

Elsa frowned with disapproval, but Anna wouldn't be dissuaded so easily. She rarely ever was. Secretly, Elsa wanted Anna to succeed.

"Come on," Anna begs, "Please, with beautiful snowflakes on top."

Elsa would say no out of professionalism, but then Anna pulls of those sad eyes that seem to always do something in her to evoke a sense a guilt. Her eyes were her own color, and yet, they were so different than her own. Elsa sighed explosively.

"Alright, I'll take a break," Elsa said, getting up.

"Great," Anna exclaimed, "Now let's go."

Without warning, Elsa found herself being dragged by her younger sister as they made their way through the castle. The servants were quick to move out of the way when they saw the two sisters racing, or rather Anna racing with Elsa in her tow. Elsa could only give a shrug as the staff raised their heads in curiosity. They raced down the spiral stairs, down into the main hall, past a few hallways, and out into the near-empty courtyard.

The only ones that were there was Kristoff and Sven and Olaf. They were talking about something, and Kristoff seemed ready to go into the mountains. He had the sled ready as well as some travel equipment. When he saw the two approaching fast, he seemed a bit freaked out, and Elsa didn't blame him. Anna's excitement could be a lot to deal with.

"Kristoff," Anna said, "I need you now."

"Kind of busy right now," he said pointing to the sled, "Can it wait for now?"

"No it can't," Anna said rapidly, "You shouldn't even be going to the mountains now, now with the festival coming up."

"I know," he said, "and it won't take long. A day at best and two at worst."

"That's what you said last time," Anna said, her arms folded, "and it took at least five days. You have any idea how worried I was?"

"Hey, that's not fair," he said, "Kind of got caught up in the middle of talking with family. They've been bugging me constantly about us."

Elsa watched as Anna still held a disapproving look. She struggled to stifle a laugh. Sometimes, it was fun watching the two argue over simple things like this. This sort of showed how much they deeply cared for each other. It was very endearing.

"Okay," he relented, "I might have gone to see them, but it was for good reason. I spend all my time here when I'm not being the Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer."

Anna let her arms fall to her side before shaking her head.

"Kristoff," she giggled, "you know that I was joking right?"

"No," he said.

Now Elsa couldn't help herself. She had to laugh now. It was simply too much for her to simply to keep quiet.

"Anyway," Anna said, "I really do need you help."

"With," Kristoff questioned.

"Just humor me and trust that it's important," she pleaded.

"...Fine," he slumped his shoulders. "What are we doing?"

"Well," Anna began, "Elsa needs a break, and we're going to convince her to take one."

Kristoff didn't immediately reject the idea, and that was what scared Elsa just a little bit; the man always let a bad idea be known, and if he didn't say no on the spot, then he was considering it.

"Not you too, Kristoff," Elsa groaned, "I told Anna I need to keep Arendelle healthy and alive."

"Yeah," he agreed, "But the kingdom won't do much good if you're not rested and able to run the kingdom. Anna's got a point."

Elsa sighed explosively. She was outnumbered in this debate, and she was running out of ways to stop them. She wouldn't dare to say it, but the idea of taking time off sounded just like what the doctor ordered. But Elsa was duty-driven. What would her parents think?

 _They would tell me that even kings and queens need breaks,_ she thought, _Everyone needs it._

Elsa bit her lips and she considered her next words carefully. She was too prideful to admit explicitly that she needed a break, but who was she to disagree with both her sister and her best friend?

 **The beginning to a story I think I'm going to enjoy writing. The reason I got into this is that I know that it's easy to pair Elsa with Sub-Zero, a person with her abilities, so how about someone with the opposite of her abilities.**

 **The story is AU mostly for the MK aspect. The interpretation of Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi is the most realistic one I can give to a person of his character. Don't mistake that some traces of his wraith/specter side still exist, but he's in control now as he's back to a living form. I also think that he's about 25 years old.**

 **If you like this chapter and this story so far, review it. Tell the goods, the bads, and give critique. All feedback is appreciated.**

 **Hope you like this chapter, and remember, if fear is the great enemy of intimacy, then love is the true friend.**

 **Peace out!**


	2. Chapter 2: Past and Future

Chapter 2: Meeting the Prince

 **February 27 1847**

 **Southern Isle**

Hanzo Hasashi quietly entered the store and took stock of his surroundings. It was a standard store to be sure, but Hanzo did not live within this vicinity, and as such, a great deal of things were new to him, and he wanted to see what there was worth looking for.

Hanzo was not certain as to why he felt compelled to buy a souvenir item. He had not done it before in any other city. For one, it did not serve a practical purpose. Carrying so many things would tax him, not that he could not handle it. As it was, he still travelled light, with only his weapons and some food rations in his belt pouches, and nothing else. That was all he needed, and that was all he cared about. Souvenirs indicated emotional attachment to someone, something, or someplace, and Hanzo was not one to be clingy to things like that. He needed to move on.

But what could it hurt? Perhaps there might be something here he could use. Until now, he had never considered that perhaps there were things within stores that could serve a purpose to him. Hanzo had always assumed that he had everything that he needed.

 _But what do you know,_ he asked himself, _You have never taken the time for yourself to see what you could have._

Sighing to himself, he turned into a large room, the main part of the store, he assumed, to notice that a sales clerk and a young woman were seated at a counter, which Hanzo assumed was them waiting for someone making a purchase. When they both spotted him, they were instantly cast into intimidation.

"Stay back," the man said, "We'll shout for the guards."

Both of them backpedalled and grabbed some knives, holding them like they were ready to throw them. Realizing that he needed to defuse this situation before he was forced to take drastic measures, Hanzo gently raised his hands in the air to indicate surrender.

"I mean you no harm," the ninja spoke, "I only come to look around."

"So w-why all the w-weapons," the girl stuttered, "Nobody c-comes into a s-store with w-weapons and says they're going to b-buy s-something."

Hanzo took a closer look at the two. From the looks of them, they appeared to be related, likely brother and sister. Their eyes were a hazel color, and they were about half a head shorter than he was. Clearly this was their first time meeting someone that looked like a dangerous threat, and that meant that they clearly weren't going to stop being intimidated. And if he dared to make a move that was even slightly hostile-looking, he would be in trouble. The last thing Hanzo wanted was for guards to show up and arrest him, especially when he had already been let off with a warning for doing nothing.

"I understand that my weapons and attire are intimidating," Hanzo answered, "If it satisfies you, I will give you all of my weapons. I will even take off my mask and hood."

With one hand still raised in the air, he slowly undid the harnesses for his twin katanas. The two of them held their weapons in a rather amateur way while the Shirai-Ryu slowly lowered the harness to the ground. Once they touched the wooden floor, he quickly kicked the weapons towards the counter. He then let both his kunais fall to the ground along with the length of chain attached to them. He quickly detached them from his person and also shoved them towards the man and woman. Finally, he made sure to brandish his knives and toss them in their direction too.

Once all of his weapons were gone, Hanzo raised his hands again, waiting for them to do something. The man slowly arranged the weapons in a place where both parties could see it. Hanzo remained where he was, his face calm and his eyes making eye contact.

"You mask," the clerk said shakily, "Please take it off."

Hanzo lowered his right hand and quickly released the mask from his face. He then put it on the ground, then he pulled his hood back to reveal his head in full. His hair was short despite having been travelling for a while. Ever several weeks, he would use one of his knives to cut his hair. He used a small mirror in his belt to help him keep his hair neat and in order. The second they could see his face, the two of them seemingly lost their fear and gazed at him in wonder. The man seemed uncertain while the woman seemed a bit mesmerized.

"I know that look," the clerk said, "You're not a bandit or a thug, I can see that. But I ask that your weapons stay here. Do you have anything in your belt?"

"Nothing else," Hanzo shook his head, "If you like, I can give you my belt pouches."

"No that won't be necessary," the man dismissed, "Sorry for being jumpy. We've been experiencing some trouble as of late."

"Trouble," the ninja inquired, "What sort of trouble?"

Both of them seemed really hesitant to speak, as their look at each other indicated. But Hanzo knew that look, the one that said one thing: someone did not want them talking. Someone was likely holding these two hostage, maybe not physically speaking, but in some manner, these two were being kept under guard.

"We really shouldn't be talking about this," he said, "I don't want to trouble you with our problems."

"What is your name," Hanzo asked.

That seemed to catch the man off guard completely, and it took him a moment to recover from the sudden change of conversation.

"I'm Michael," he said, "This is my sister Valentina. We've been running this store for the better part of several years now."

"How long have you lived here," Hanzo continued.

"Ever since we were born," Michael stated, "It's been a busy life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Ever since our parents died, we've been more or less on our own."

Hanzo felt a pang of guilt for bringing up that thought, and for once, he was inclined to simply to let a small bit of emotion out, not mask it behind a wall of neutrality.

"My name is," he hesitated, "Hanzo Hasashi."

"I haven't heard a name like that," Valentina commented, "Where do you come from?"

"A land far from here," he answered, "Have you heard of the nation known as Japan?"  
"I've heard of it," Michael responded, "But we've only heard rumors and some small things about it. Now that I think of it, there were always legends about these things called ninjas, some sort of enforcers, like knights in armor."

"That is not too far off," Hanzo agreed, "In fact, I am a ninja."

"Really," they both exclaimed.

"It was my life," he sighed, "It held great meaning."

"Was," Valentina asked, "What happened?"  
"They were killed," Hanzo spoke. "Murdered."

"I-I'm s-so sorry," she whimpered out, "I didn't mean to-"

"It is fine," Hanzo assured, "I have moved on. I actually have travelled far and wide to seek out new purpose."

"Like what," Michael asked.

"That remains to be seen," the ninja shrugged slightly, "But for now, I felt compelled to buy some sort of souvenir, but the trouble is that I want it to be useful as well. I travel light, and I would prefer to keep it that way."

"Hmm," Michael thought, "I think I might have a solution for you. Come with me."

With that, the man gestured for Hanzo to follow him, and the warrior complied without question. This had gone far better than he thought it would. It was strange to think that he finally began to open up to strangers of all things. Granted, they did have some common basis from which a connection was established. So maybe this connection was not as bad as his less rational side was making it out to be.

It did not take the two long to navigate through the many shelves that housed many odds and end things that were most unusual or unique. It was then that they began to pass what Hanzo recognized as clocks. The familiar ticking sounds that went with it followed.

Michael stopped to point his hand to a specific shelf.

"Here," Michael said, "These are pocket watches. We've got them in all different styles. It's something that can act as a souvenir, but it's also useful because it tells you time. You can adjust it manually if you have to, but if you're staying here for a while, then you can keep it as it is."

Hanoz gazed at all of the various watches on display. Yes, these would prove most useful, and it puzzled Hanzo to think that he could have just as easily gotten one somewhere else if he made the effort to stop in. Well, it was better to do it now than to never do it at all.

"I will need a minute with this," Hanzo said.

"Take all the time you need," Michael replied, "I'll be at the counter if you need anything."

The Shirai Ryu nodded and resumed his attention towards the variou watches. They varied in size and in design. Each design carried some sort of mark that represented likely where it was made or where it was meant to represent. He was in no hurry to choose too quickly, so he scanned each make, inspected it carefully, making sure not to leave any unsavory marks that would discourage further customers. The color silver appealed to him the most, as silver reminded him of bladed weapons. Gold was too ornate for his taste and bronze seemed like a bland color.

His sights finally turned to a silver watch with its lid closed to protect the contents. Lifting it carefully, Hanzo inspected the symbol embedded on the cover. The symbol was black like his hair, which allowed the symbol to be seen very clearly. It was what appeared to be a flower design. It was a simple design, but still elegant. He then flipped the lid to see that Roman numerals lined the watch edges indicating the hours. The numerals were black like the symbol, and against the silver it contrasted like the cover did.

 _Well,_ Hanzo thought, _I suppose this is the one._

With his newest find in hand, Hanzo began to process how much he would have to pay for this watch. He had some coin, and since he was a frugal person, he would have enough.

It was then that he heard a crashing sound followed by the sound of screaming. At first, Hanzo was confused, but then he realized that it was Valentina's voice. Something was going on.

Holding the watch in his right hand, Hanzo decided that perhaps he needed to enter the scene quietly to assess the situation. His assumption proved to be the right choice as he came upon an all-too-familiar scene. There were five other men in the store now, all of them bigger than the two siblings, a couple of them roughly as big as himself. They all had weapons, small ones, but still weapons at that. The siblings weren't armed, and if Hanzo was to guess, their weapons were taking.

"We're not asking again," a voice said, "We know you got some souvenirs from the last guy to come in. Give them to us."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Michael's voice said unsteadily, "Nobody came in here."

"Don't play dumb with me boy," the man grumbled, "I know you have some new toys. Hand them over."

"I told you," Michael insisted, "I don't have anything to give you. What more do you want from me?"

"What I want is for you to stop whining and give us what we came for," the voice growled, "Now do what I want, or she's going to get it. Final warning."

Hanzo's free hand tightened into a fist. This must be the thing that the two were not willing to talk about. No wonder they were afraid of him when he came in. He was practically another form of these men. Deciding to waste no more time, Hanzo stepped out into the open. The men still had not realized he was there.

"Release them both," Hanzo warned, "I will not say it again."

 **-[ X ]-**

 **Arendelle**

Elsa staved off Anna long enough to actually finish the work that she needed to do. That was several hours ago, and now that she had finished what she wanted to do, now she could focus on other having some relaxation time. It was about time too. There was only so much work that Elsa could take at a time without her losing her mind.

Besides, with the sight outside, she wanted to go out. For one thing, it had recently snowed, and the entirety of Arendelle was covered in a light, but beautiful snow blanket. Elsa could disband this snow if she wanted to, but the people were more or less okay with the weather as it was. And she didn't want to either, because it was a beautiful thing to watch. The setting sun also reflected of the bright surface of the icicles that hung from her window, giving off a glint of natural light.

Setting the pen down in its proper position, Elsa rose from her seat and stood at her window, taking more time to admire the natural beauty of the landscape. Truly, Arendelle was a place of great things. Although Elsa had been confined to the castle for almost all of her life, she always did appreciate the kingdom that she lived in; she'd be a very poor queen otherwise.

It was then that Anna came into the room, though this time, she wasn't quite as hyped-up as earlier, but there was no mistaking that the princess was still full of energy.

"You done, Elsa," Anna asked, "Because I know you haven't eaten all day, so I brought you something to eat."

The smell of food, more specifically, spaghetti filled her senses, and Elsa happily received the tray, along with a glass of cold water. From the way the tray was arranged, it looked like Anna had hastily come up with all of this. That was an Anna thing.

"Thanks Anna," Elsa said, "Where's Kristoff?"

"Putting Sven in his stable," Anna explained, "I finally convinced him to hold off his trip for at least a couple more days. He needs to be here for winterfest."

The choice of words that Anna used was not indicative of what she truly felt, but nonetheless. Elsa knew that look, the same look that she gave when thinking about loved ones, and Kristoff was a loved one in Anna's eyes.

"Well," Elsa reasoned, "I'm sure he'll appreciate at least a little more time before he heads off."

"On one hand I want him here," Anna sighed, "But on the other hand, I know that working is what he loves doing. I mean, we've only been in his life for seven months."

"I see the way he looks at you," Elsa assured, "He would do anything for you, even sacrifice his own time."

"All the more reason for me to do something for him" Anna said, "I know he does stuff for me. I just need to think of something for him."

"And speaking of presents," Elsa continued, "I hope you didn't think too much about my supposed vacation?"

"Of course I thought about it," Anna exclaimed, "What kind of sister would I be if I gave it a little thought? You need a vacation."

"Anna, as much as I love the idea, I need a better reason than simply for the fact that my work is taxing."

"That's all the reason you need to go on vacation."

Anna began to pace back and forth in thought, and Elsa watched her, eating her meal, waiting for her sister to speak her mind. The elder sister didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"I got it," Anna shouted, "I can kill two birds with one stone. What we need is to go out and take a vacation in the wilderness. You know, go find a cabin, and while Kristoff can work, we can spend time together."

"Wouldn't you rather spend time with Kristoff too," Elsa asked, "Not that I don't love your company."

"I'll make time for both of you," Anna shrugged, "I can manage it."

It was then that the doors opened and Kristoff came in, looking like his usual self, and Anna turned to face him.

"What did I miss," Kristoff inquired, "More planning?"

"I just got this great idea," Anna told him.

"Naturally," Kristoff replied.

"After winterfest," Anna elaborated, "We're all going on vacation. We'll find some secluded place to go, like a cabin for maybe a week. One we're all rested and recharged, then we'll come back."

"And where would we find a cabin," Kristoff asked.

"I think I can find one," Elsa interjected, "There is a place in the country that offers lodging to royalty. It's completely quiet and has things to do. And it's not far from the mountains."

The Icemaster nodded his head in mute approval. Anna beamed, and Elsa smiled.

"So can we go immediately after the fest," Anna asked,

"I guess so," Elsa said, "And speaking of winterfest, it begins tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it," Kristoff announced, "But I'm going to get some shut eye so I can be fully awake tomorrow. Night you two."

Just as he turned to close the door behind him, Elsa's mind did a double take.

"Hey Kristoff," she called out, "Have you seen Olaf?"  
"Olaf," Kristoff thought for a moment, "He's on the rooftop, feeling the sun."

"Doesn't he do that every day," Anna asked, "Not that the sun isn't a good thing."

"I just let him be," Kristoff concluded, "He'll be fine. See you in the morning Anna. Elsa."

The door closed behind him, and he quickly waved to Anna, to which the princess responded with her own wave.

"I think I'm going to wind down a bit before I go to bed too," Elsa spoked, "I'm going to the library. Do you want to come with me?"

"Do you need to ask," Anna grinned, "I'm with you."

Together, hand-in-hand, they walked down the hallways to the library section of the castle. Although Elsa had read a vast amount of the books on these very shelves, she still had more to go. It had been a majority of her time before being the queen. Knowledge was one of her most trusted friends.

Once they entered into the library, they were greeted by the library keeper, Christian Noles, an older fellow that had been serving for some time, before Elsa was born. When he noticed the queen and the princess enter, he gave a bow of his head.

"How may I be of service, your majesty," he asked her.

"I'm just looking around today," Elsa told him, "But thank you anyway."

"If you need anything I will be here," he informed her, returning to his duties. "We do have some new books that have arrived into the castle this week. If you would like to check on them, they are at the far end."

"Thank you Christian," Elsa smiled.

Elsa turned to see that Anna was already do a browsing of a section, particularly about history. Anna had a knack for reading, despite her rather child-like behavior, and stories were something that the younger sister always loved. This was a recent discovery for Elsa, but it was one that she loved immensely.

Remembering that some new books had arrived, Elsa walked to the table which was filled with some new books. Curious, she picked up the first one she saw. It read _A History of the Conquest of Peru_. Despite war and violence to not be something she cared for in the least, she had read many books of the bloody history of Humanity. It was sad that war had to drag thousands to death.

Elsa thought about it for a moment before putting down the book, and she moved onto the next book. This one read _Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas_. The inside information indicated that it was an American writer. Elsa did recall from recent news that the United States of America was in a state of great tension. Apparently, the issue was concerning the possibility of freeing slaves.

Deciding that this book could wait, she grabbed the next book, this one reading _Tancred: The New Crusade._ Flipping to the first page, Elsa read the first two pages. It was a fictional story that much she could see. She would file this one away to read more of.

She then looked at a child's book titled _The Fairy Tale of My Life_. Anna might appreciate this one. Or maybe she could read this story to the children in Arendelle whenever she got a chance to see them again.

Putting this one down, she eyed another one, taking a closer look.

 _Wuthering Heights,_ Elsa repeated the title, _This title seems unusual._

Deciding to settle on a book before she lost too much time browsing, Elsa grabbed the book and began to find a place to sit down. There were several chairs in the library, but she had to find them. As she sought them, the fact that it was quiet alerted Elsa that Anna had likely already chosen a book and was already waiting for her sister.

A few moments later, Elsa found the main sitting area, where Anna was looking at her own book.

"What are you reading, Anna," Elsa inquired.

"Just revisiting some childhood fairy tales," Anna smiled, "It's been a long time since I've even thought about these tails. They were some of my best friends for a while"

Elsa smiled back, feeling just a bit sad that she couldn't have been one of those friends when they were kids. She shook the thought from her head. She had Anna now, and that was what mattered the most now.

"Which tale," Elsa leaned over Anna's shoulder, "There are a lot of them."

"Beauty and the Beast," Anna said, "My favorite one, kinda reminds me of us in a way."

Elsa thought about it, and in a way, that tale did sort of connect to their lives in a way, but at the same time, it didn't connect either.

"We have our own story," Elsa replied, "Maybe I can see the connection. Sorta, but not really."

"Ah well," Anna dismissed, "I think I'll love the story no matter how old I am. I can remember it from beginning to end, even if I haven't read it in years."

"What about it do you remember the most?"

The younger sister had this very thoughtful look in her expression as she considered an answer. Elsa couldn't see her sister's face, but the silence indicated a thought process.

"I guess when the two of them found a connection despite how different they were," Anna said, "You wouldn't ever think that in any situation that anyone could love a beast."

"But that beast was Human before he was transformed," Elsa pointed out, "That makes it easier to connect."

"Maybe. Still," Anna replied, "It must be tough."  
"Yeah," Elsa agreed, "Tough way to find true love."

Elsa didn't give it any further thought as she settled into her chair next to Anna and began to resume where she had begun to read. She failed notice that Anna was watching her, thinking very much about her sister. More specifically, the princess wondered who would be willing to love someone like Elsa.

 _It's gotta be someone that can actually understand her, which is gonna be difficult._ Anna thought to herself, _I know that the politics and nobles and all of that stupid stuff is getting in the way. She needs someone who actually loves her._

Anna wouldn't give up hope that someone was out there. There were a lot of people out there, and love came in forms most unexpected. She certainly hadn't anticipated Kristoff Bjorgman coming into her life, but Anna knew she wouldn't trade him for any price in the entire world. She knew that inside, that he was who she wanted to spend her life with.

Now it was Elsa's turn to get that love. If Anna could, she'd help her older sister get it, but this was also a process that required her to let Elsa lead on as well.

 **I've got too many stories up and I don't even know which ones I want to do. Mostly, I update stories when I get an idea, save for the one story that I commit to. Anyway, I'm feeling on a role for this story.**

 **For those wondering, this story is going to focus on a very lengthy journey, so when I say that, I can expect that the story will be at least 500k+ words, and that's a predetermined minimum. That could easily change, so don't fret. There's a lot that's going to be going on, and this story will be centered around the main characters heavily. There'll be little deviation from them.**

 **If you loved this chapter, let me know with some reviews. If you hated this chapter, tell me why, and for anyone with ideas or just critical reviewing can come forth. I don't bite. All reviews are welcome. Thanks to those who have supported so far.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and remember,** **it is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages..**

 **Peace out!**


	3. Chapter 3: Scorched

Chapter 3: Scorched

 **Southern Isles**

 **February 27 1847**

 **Afternoon**

Hanzo Hasashi stepped forward to fully reveal himself. His sharp eyes keeping watch at every assailant in this room. One of them held Valentina, the other held Michael as they struggled a bit. The leader, a man as tall the ninja was, stepped forward, clearly not intimidated by him.

"This doesn't involve you outsider," the man warned, "I suggest you leave us be. We'll forget we saw you."

"And take my possessions and theirs," Hanzo pointed to the siblings, "I think not."

The leader simply looked to his men, who laughed at Hanzo, but the Shirai Ryu was not scared in the least. He had seen worse things in the Netherrealm that would make these thugs look like insects.

"What're you gonna do about it," the leader sneered, "There's lots of us and one of you."

"Yes," Hanzo agreed, "I agree that I am surrounded by complete and utter buffoons."

For a moment, Hanzo detected just a hint of anger from each of them before he was quickly surrounded.

"Bad decision," he threatened, "You won't be so smart once we rough you up a bit. And don't say we didn't warn you."

Before any of them could launch an attack, Hanzo lashed out with a back kick, catching the man in his groin area. He followed up by ducking under a right hook meant for his face. He quickly did a leg sweep and cut down another man, the weight collapsing to the floor in pain. The leader swung twice, both which Hanzo blocked his own arms. He followed up with several well-placed slams, the first one into the side of the face and the next into the nose. The man reeled back, holding his now-broken nose. Growling, the man charged again. Hanzo simply waited for his target to come into range. The moment the man swiped at him. Hanzo instantly fell to the ground, grabbing the man in a scissor lock between his legs, forcing the man to fall to the ground hard on his head.

Hanzo then felt some arms grab his own and restrain him

"I got this," one of thugs said, "Keep him steady."

Hanzo instinctively bent his arms to slam his elbow into the man's face, freeing himself from the grip. He then opened his hand to grab the fist of the man intending to punch him. He then used his other arm to casually slam his opponent into the ground, rendering him near-unconscious, but incapacitated nonetheless.

Once all of them were down, he raised his head to see that Michael and Valentina were more or less terrified and awed by what they had seen.

"Are you alright," he called to them both.

"We are now," Michael croaked, "But t-thank you for saving us."

It was then that the door burst open to reveal several guards. Hanzo immediately recognized the symbol of the Southern Isle guards. Unfortunately, he also recognized the same guards that were trying to intimidate him earlier. The guard captain now the most obvious. Keeping his face neutral, he simply stood and showed no signs of moving. However, the guard was not so controlling of his facial expression.

"Hold it right there, scum," the captain said, "Captain Mitchell, You're under arrest. Boys, relieve him of his weapons."

Before the guards could surround him and try to take his possessions, Michael quickly stepped between without hesitation. The Shirai Ryu still did not make any moves. The situation was out of his hands, but perhaps the man could clear this situation up. Regardless of the result, he was grateful that Michael wanted to step in and at least try to clear his seemingly bad first impression.

"No stop," Michael shouted, "This man's not to be blamed. These thugs tried to rob and harass us. It's they who should be arrested."

The guard captain didn't seem terribly convinced about the situation, and so Valentina chimed in with her own opinion.

"I can attest to that," she spoke up, "If anything, you should be giving him a medal for being a hero."

A moment of silence quickly ensued, the only noise being the sound of the thugs still on the ground and in pain. But it looked like they were not going to be out for long, and it seemed with a great reluctance, the captain seemed to change his mind.

"Take them in," he gritted, "We'll see what they have to say."

As the soldiers made certain to chain the men and make certain no escape was possible, the captain turned his head to Michael,

"Sir," he began, "I'm going to have to ask you two to remain with me as I ask questions, as well as your...savior. I still don't trust him."

"There's nothing to worry about," Michael affirmed, "He surrendered his weapons to us if anything, so there wasn't anything for you to take to begin with."

Hanzo simply watched from his position at the man who was seemingly not willing to let go of his disliking. The ninja did not know what to say in order to appease this man. Maybe Michael could.

So he simply listened into the conversation.

"Tell me about him entering," the captain gestured to Hanzo.

"When we first saw him," Valentina recalled, "We were scared of him, and when he tried to console us, we didn't really relent. So he surrendered his weapons and mask to us. We found some common grounds, and from there, we made up from there."

"Where were you when these thugs came around," the captain questioned.

"I was at the front, waiting for any more potential customers." Michael continued, "And then they just came in without warning. I was simply organizing my desk, so I didn't really know it was them until it was too late."

"And what happened next?"

"Before I knew it, I was restrained. I know that they come for our stuff. They've been doing that for a while now, I'd like to say maybe a month or two."

"Why didn't you try to contact us before," Mitchell asked, "The royal guard is here to protect the people."

"They threatened to burn this place if we didn't keep quiet about it," Valentina explained, "And until now, we had no friends that could've helped us. I simply didn't want to chance it. I guess today was our lucky day that Mr. Hasashi came through for us."

"Yes," Mitchell said fleetingly, "But next time, you should alert us about these things. We'd help. That will be all for now. We may send another guard later today, but please tell us if anything like this ever happens again."

"We'll try," Michael nodded, "Thank you captain."

"I'd like a moment with him," Mitchell pointed to the Shirai Ryu.

"Of course," Michael quickly stepped out of the main room to give them privacy. His sister was quick to follow him away from the main room.

The second the two young siblings were out of the room, Mitchell quickly closed the distance with a not-so-friendly face. Hanzo remained neutral.

"This doesn't change anything," he hissed, "You're not off the hook because of this."

Hanzo remained calm, but in his mind, he had a reason to be suspicious of this man. For no apparent reason, Captain Mitchell seemed to take a disliking to him. That was not likely the case; all people had a reason for their actions, as Hanzo had come to understand through years of experience. Most things simply were not simply for nothing, and this confrontation was no incident. However, he would not give off any indication about his suspicion of the situation. He would remain skeptical, and that was only if he stayed here for long, which he did not plan to.

As soon as he finished his business here, he would find himself another boat to get on and simply set sail for another place, unless something or someone chose to hold him up.

"I only inflicted harm upon those who deserved it," Hanzo replied calmly, "Anyone innocent has nothing to fear from me."

The two men were now facing each other fully. Mitchell was still shorter than the ninja, hardly intimidating in physical stature, but he had to keep himself composed. Again, nothing he could not do, but always better to exercise caution.

"Maybe this time," Michel said, "But you're no innocent yourself."

"No one who is a warrior is innocent," Hanoz countered softly, "I say again, no innocents were harmed. If we are done here, I will take my leave."

The captain opened his mouth to say something, but then apparently learned not to try and argue with him. With a final glare, Mitchell did a quick nod to Michael and Valentina before departing from the store.

"Thanks for putting up with that," Micheal said, "I'm so sorry about that."

"I am fine," Hanzo assured, "And I believe I have found the item I wish to purchase.

Retrieving the new pocket watch from his pouch, the ninja held it up for the man to see.

"You know what, take it. Consider it a gift for saving our lives."

"I cannot do that, I insist to pay for it."

"You were the first to stand up for us," Valentina pointed out, "No one else has been able to. We owe you much more than this."

Hanzo did truly appreciate this gesture of kindness, but it was not in his nature to simply take things. He always earned the right to things. He wanted to pay for it, but he realized that maybe it would be simply easier to accept what they offered. He did not ask for this offer, so perhaps it was not as bad?

Sighing, Hanzo returned the item to one of his belt pouches.

"I thank you both for this," he smiled, "I will be sure to repay this debt."

"There's no need," Michael dismissed, "You've saved us. That's more than enough for us."

"Yes," Valentina agreed, "That's all we need."

With a final nod of thanks, they all exchanged greetings before Hanzo departed from the store. His weapons were returned to him and his mask was placed back on his head.

Deciding that perhaps he ought to consider his next direction, Hanzo made his way to the docks. But then he did a double take. He really had no idea where he was going, and the only thing he could really say for certain was which direction was which. A map would be a good thing about now.

It was right about then that he heard overhead a conversation somewhere. It was not his intention to listen in, but it still was heard by him.

"The queen of Arendelle can do that?"

"Yes, I was there to see it. during the summer. I hear the queen's going to give another demonstration of her powers."

"Hard to believe a queen like her can make ice and snow. But then again, it matches with her looks."

Hanzo instantly perked up at the mention of powers. Although he had had experience in dealing with individuals of strange power, the number of these individuals were rare and difficult to find.

And it was even more strange to hear that a queen of all people would wield the abilities of a cyromancer. Surely that must have been intimidating to her people, assuming that knew about her power. But from the conversation, it seemed she had been accepted by her people.

 _Why am I considering this so much,_ Hanzo thought, _"It is of no consequence. I will never meet her. But it would not hurt to travel to Arendelle regardless._

The beginning of dusk was upon the entire kingdom. Soon, the night would fall, and it was for this reason that Hanzo was quick to make it to the docks. Apparently, he was not the only one who was on his way to Arendelle. Others were going as well.

From the conversation he overheard, it had something to do about an event called the winterfest.

 **-[ X ]-**

 **Arendelle**

Elsa and Anna had spent the afternoon reading, and they both took the time to wind down from the day's events. Now, they could see that the nighttime would soon be upon them. It was time for them to finish up the day and go to bed soon.

"I'm going to make sure that Kristoff hasn't gone off," Anna said, "Although I know he won't disobey me."

"How do you know that," Elsa asked skeptically.

"Because he loves me too much to go against me," Anna chuckled. "But I won't tell him that."

"You are devious Princess Anna," Elsa sighed, "Just don't go overboard with it."

"I won't do that either," the princess laughed, "I love him too much to do bad stuff to him."

"And let me guess," the queen finished, "You won't tell him that."

"Actually I've already told him that," Anna grinned, "And it gives me warm fuzzies when he smiles like he did."

"Good. I'm really happy for you two," Elsa confessed, "And honestly, I don't think you'd make a good match for any prince."

"Pshh," Anna scoffed, "You know I'm terrible at formalities. Kristoff is my kind of guy. I couldn't ask for anything more."

Without another word, the two embraced like they always did before they departed for the night. It was a simple gesture on the outside, but to the two sisters, it was a sign of their incredibly strong bond. And it amazed Elsa that the bond had never broken despite all the heartache and trauma and separation and pain over the course of thirteen years.

Sometimes, Elsa wondered if she was ever truly worthy of the love and attention that Anna gave her. Her younger sister had always been the optimist, willing to sacrifice for anyone. If anything, Elsa felt that she should be doing more for her sister, trying harder to make up for lost time, but Anna accepted whatever Elsa gave her, regardless of what it was. That in itself gave the queen the boost of confidence in their relationship.

Although Elsa wasn't sure if she was worthy of Anna's love, she certainly was going to try and be worthy, even if it took her all of her life.

"Good night, Elsa." Anna smiled brightly, "Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Anna," Elsa mirrored back, "Pleasant dreams."

They both held each other's hands before reluctantly pulling apart, never keeping their eyes away from each other until they were both out each other's line of sight.

Elsa then quickly returned to her room. She took a good look around. Her bed had been made and arranged as it was every night. Her windows and the door to her balcony were open, as she prefered it. The cold never bothered her anyway. Her desk had been neatly arranged, and still the papers that consisted of her work still lay there. The floors looked like it had been polished as well. All in all, the room was pretty much spotless. The maids really did take the effort to clean. Elsa would have to pay them a visit and offer her thanks.

And then Elsa's mind turned to the many documents and messages and letters that she still had to work through. Elsa frowned in thought for a moment.

 _Well,_ Elsa thought, _Maybe a few papers before going to bed. I'm not quite that tired yet._

While Elsa didn't feel the need to go to bed immediately, Anna would disagree severely. The thing was that Anna slept a ton, and by a ton, she literally did sleep that much. The vast majority of mornings for Anna were eight o'clock and beyond. Sometimes, the princess wouldn't rise until midday. Elsa once thought that maybe she should wake her sister up more. Lately however, Elsa found herself busy and unable to or simply not finding the will to disrupt her baby sister's sleep. Besides, it was adorable how Anna slept.

With some reluctance, Elsa sat down at her desk, picking up the quill, dipping it in some ink before settling in on the first of many documents to read and more than likely respond to.

The first one was concerning trade agreements with the King Louis Philippe I of France. Elsa knew that for a long time, France was in a state of civil reform due to what many now called the French Revolution. Before Elsa was born, her father and mother had taught her about the fight in France. Because France was inspired by the United States of America to fight for a free country in which all had equal rights, there was much conflict between the people and the monarchs.

Her father in particular, while understanding the struggles of the people, warned Elsa that change like this could prove to be most volatile if the people were not capable of handing the ability of freedom responsibly. And at the time, Elsa had been inclined to agree, but there was more to this than simply what the news was telling everyone.

Elsa did believe that everyone regardless of origins had a right to become what they pleased if they worked to achieve it. Elsa was no strict ruler, and she knew that her policies regarding her people were rather lax in comparison to some other neighboring and allied countries. But she also knew that the people loved her and respected her because she wasn't strict. By allowing them to be a bit more free, they in turn would show her gratitude and this would keep the kingdom prosperous and upbeat.

Still, she knew that certain rules had to be enforced as well. But these rules weren't meant to oppress, but to protect. Even if some disagreed with it, it was necessary to ensure that if possible, nobody would get hurt or possibly even killed. Elsa didn't want things to go that way, so she did what she could to shelter her own people.

Elsa shook her head from her thoughts and returned to the document. Apparently, the king was looking for some more beneficial trade agreements. There were some special unique items that the king wished to trade. Particularly, there were food ingredients that were very much French in origin. If there was one thing Elsa knew about France was that the food there was exquisite. She wasn't sure how they did it, but somehow their food always turned out right.

Elsa then took into stock that Arendelle also had some specialty items to sell as well. Ice was chief among them. As of late, she had talked to Kristoff to see if he could reach out to other ice gatherers and see if he could form a group and him heading it as the Arendelle Ice Master. Apparently, ice was an item that many of Arendelle's friend and allies wished for. The profits were very lucrative as well, and Elsa couldn't deny that bringing in a revenue for the kingdom did wonders for her people.

Elsa reread the letter addressed to her again before taking out a piece of paper and writing down her response. It would take the better part of at least a week or two for the items to arrive to the French royal, and maybe a month for her to receive a response.

She moved onto the next letter, this one from the English Queen Victoria. She was a relatively young queen with children herself, her coronation years ago. Elsa remembered that both her mother and father had attended the coronation of the English Queen. They had described Victoria as a very reasonable queen, wanting to improve relationships wherever possible.

Arendelle fortunately was a close ally of the British, and the terms of their friendship were rather generous. In exchange for raw materials and some specialty items, Arendelle would received a token fleet of ships to be used for war and defense if necessary. Though Arendelle hadn't seen war for the better part of almost a hundred years. Elsa had no intention of snapping that streak, unless she wanted lose the support of her people.

The message from England was informing the snow queen that due to a slight decline in resources, the only thing to offer were some technologies. Elsa wasn't really that terribly surprised at this. The world was currently in the process of expanding outward, trying to find more and more land.

Elsa quickly repeated the process of writing a response letter to the royalty and government officials that wrote to her. She'd done this dozens of times and it was becoming very simply to do.

By the time Elsa had finished with writing her letters, which were many, she felt rather exhausted already. Perhaps going to sleep now was the best thing to do, especially since the only thing allowing her to see her work in the first place was the single candle lit, but with almost no wax left, or little left. If she didn't blow out the candle, it would simply flicker out itself

Elsa blew out the candle and rose from her seat. Looking outside, she could see the moon and the stars, all of them shining brightly. Against the black night sky, they looked like jewels, beautiful and crisp and clear. And the snow and ice all around her and her kingdom only served to only intensify the beauty of everything.

Often times, she'd find herself standing out on her balcony, simply looking out into her kingdom, completely oblivious of everything. These were often her nights, just looking out into the dark. She was always a very reflective person, always giving thought to virtually everything she did. It was in her nature, about as natural as breathing. She took a deep breath in, savoring the bland but still fresh air. She then exhaled through her mouth, her eyes closed. her entire being just calm. Just quiet...

By the time she found the will to actually lie down and close her eyes, it was likely close to midnight. Elsa would have to get up early for tomorrow's winterfest. It would last for three days. They had been planned and mapped out for months actually; Elsa always planned things out in advance. Sometimes, she would do unnecessary planning for a longer time than she needed to, but her father had always taught her to plan ahead, and she was simply following that advice.

Day one would feature a dog sled race. The race would begin and end in main square of Arendelle. It was a popular race and almost all of Arendelle usually was there to attend it. The prize was a medal from Elsa, and this year, Elsa had taken some effort into designing the medals to represent winter more; it was winterfest after all. The people usually had their favorites, but rookies would also be cheered on.

Day two would have feature ice skating courtesy of Elsa herself providing the castle courtyard as a the rink. Elsa had quickly learned that skating was one of the things that many people in Arendelle seemed to love a lot. Of course not everyone was good at it, but it was still a joy to see people trying at least. Anna couldn't skate too well either, and that made Elsa laugh just a bit.

The final day would be Elsa doing a bit of a magic show. The kids loved it like nothing else and the adults simply watched with wide eyes. Most people saw her magic as a thing of beauty, elegance, and grace. Elsa, being the humble queen she was, would often try to discredit these compliments, but people still gave them to her.

It wasn't long before her mind begin to drift off into the dream world, and there, she felt nothing but peace. She would need all the sleep she could get, considering the fact that she would need her strength for the coming days ahead.

It would be a good winterfest this year. She just knew it.

 **Maybe a bit tedious for you guys, but worry not, the good stuff will come with time. I'm currently in the process of working out how exactly the relationship between the pairings will work.**

 **I'm the king of author who likes to work relationships over a long period. I'm a firm believer that being best friends with your significant other is the best way to true love. So the process will be long, but that's more for you guys to read. So be patient with me if you can.**

 **If you loved this chapter, let me know in a review. If you hated this chapter, tell me why. If you have an idea or critique to offer, send it my way. All reviews are read. And you guys can call me out on grammar and spelling errors I make.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and remember, love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in recognition.**

 **Peace out!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Arrival

Chapter 4: The Arrival

 **En Route to Arendelle**

 **February 28 1847**

 **Crack of Dawn**

Hanzo had gone with very little sleep that night. Truth be told, he found himself sleeping for very short periods of time and feeling fully recharged and fully energized. This was no different than in his days as a general of the Shirai-Ryu. He would always have long days of training, kombat, and leading. This was different, different because no matter the amount of sleep he got now, he felt always ready and awake and alert.

It seemed rather unnatural, but he kept that to himself. Nobody really could ever hope to understand why it is that he felt that his quick sleeping periods were the result of his connection to the Netherrealm. Hanzo knew that the general acceptance of culture in this continent was that there was an all-powerful God who ruled over all things. In a way, they were right; there certainly were divine powers at work that kept the universe in balance. As the specter Scorpion, he had witnessed it firsthand.

However, they were things that these people did not understand. There was not one God, but there were many Gods.

The Elder Gods ruled over the universe, but they did not interfere in matters of the mortal world. They more or less kept watch and became involved only when certain rules and regulations were broken or being threatened. The deities wanted to remain out of the lives of their worlds because they felt that events should flow naturally. They thought that the best way for the universe to grow was for it to find its own way to do so.

As Scorpion, Hanzo knew who and what the Elder Gods were, because as a specter of the Netherrealm, he was the servant of a former Elder God: Shinnok. Although Quan Chi was the immediate master to which Scorpion answered to, Hanzo was fully aware of Shinnok. Quan Chi was the arch-sorcerer of the Netherrealm and to his master.

However, with the demon dead, Shinnok had no one else to rely upon. There was not a sorcerer powerful enough to release the fallen deity. And for that, Hanzo was grateful, but there was still guilt on his consciousness. Scorpion still had carried out the wills of the corrupted Elder God, acts that had caused pain and suffering to others, and even death.

General Hanzo Hasashi would never do such things, but Scorpion and Hanzo were one in the same then, and they were one in the same now. The only difference was that back then, Scorpion was the more dominant. Hanzo Hasashi was now the more dominant.

The Shirai-Ryu's musings were cut short as the ship which he was on began to lower speed. It was early morning now as the ship pulled into Arendelle. Very few lights could be seen in the distance. The populace likely was still asleep, or just beginning to rise from sleep. It was just as quiet as the ship was right now.

For the most part, Hanzo kept to himself up in the crow's nest. The rest of the time was spent helping this crew with their supplies and whatever odd and end things they needed assistance with. The captain was more than impressed with the efficiency at which the ninja worked, and even offered him a place on the ship. Hanzo simply answered that allowing him passage to Arendelle was the only thing he required.

Remaining up here gave Hanzo time to do some exercises and some practice, away from prying eyes. As always, attention was not what he desired.

"Land spotted," a voice called out.

"Prepare for landing," another voice shouted, "Prep the cargo!"

All of a sudden, the ship went from quiet to really busy in mere moments. The crew suddenly became busy, preparing the ship to dock. It was a very typical cargo shipment to the small kingdom: a few supplies, some raw ingredients, some defensive weapons, and other things of importance.

From his vantage point, Hanzo could make out the castle. It stood out from the town itself. It rested right next to the water, a somewhat strange, but also somewhat unsurprising sight. In comparison to other royal castles, it was moderate in size, but still big enough for one to know that it was a castle. From the castle extended a wall that seemed to act as a defense for the nearby town. The wall extended far into the hill, with towers dotting it. The main ship entrance was also lined with castles, probably lookout or watch towers in order to identify each ship passing in and out.

The town itself was rather small compared to some of the major cities that made up other kingdoms. Of course, Hanzo considered that perhaps he was only seeing a part of Arendelle. He had never been here before, so he would have to do some exploring before coming to a better conclusion. But the environment surrounding the town reminded Hanzo of his home; it was a beautiful sight to behold.

As they began to approached the main docking area, Hanzo remained where he was, taking in the many ships that were around. Many of them were from different places, but most seemed to be carrying supplies, and likely no one special was here.

Before he could proceed further, a thought came to mind. His previous encounter with the law in the Southern Isles had reminded that maybe displaying weapons in the open was not a great thing to do. That had not been his first run-in with wary guards, but now he considered that maybe he should care more what others thought about his appearance. The problem was that he had no way to store his weapons without knowing fully where they were at all times.

Then a thought came to mind.

Hanzo still possessed the powers of Scorpion. He could easily teleport his weapons away where he knew he could get them back. No one could steal them and he would not appear nearly as intimidating.

Making certain that no one could see him from anywhere, Hanzo mentally concentrated on his twin katanas. In a moment, they disappeared in a quick flick of hell fire. He felt a slight weight off of his back, but not too much.

As soon as the ship began to make way for its spot, the ninja swiftly climbed down the mast of the ship, making a soft thud as his feet hit the boards of the deck. Many of the crew were too busy to take notice of his suddenly appearance. Only the captain saw him and briskly walked up to him.

"Will you be going anywhere else today, sir," the middle-aged man asked.

"I think I will remain here for a time," Hanzo asked, "But I thank you for putting up with my unexpected arrival."

Reaching into his belt, Hanzo quickly retrieved a pouch of money. He handed it to the surprised captain.

"For you," the Shirai-Ryu said, "Consider this compensation for me being here."

"That is kind of you, sir" the captain exclaimed, "But not necessary."

Hanzo considered the man's words carefully. He had the knowledge of when someone was willing to let a gift or offer slide and when they would take it with some hesitation. This captain clearly would not accept his coin, so the ninja slowly replaced the bag of coin back into one of his belt pouches.

"Thank you again," Hanzo nodded, "May you find fortune along your travels."

"And to you as well sir," the captain nodded back, "Travel well."

The docks were busy with workers of all kinds, so the ninja treaded lightly so as not to disrupt anyone carrying any sort of potentially fragile or otherwise valuable shipments. The docks was clear of snow. It looked like the work of someone sweeping it all away.

The snow that was abundant was noticeable, but that was not what attracted his attention. Rather, it was the abundance of decorations that seemed to line all the houses and shops of the town. It was like a celebration.

 _This must be the winterfest celebration that I heard about_ , Hanzo thought, _I wonder what the celebration entails._

A greeter was there to witness his arrival. Without much thought, the ninja walked towards the man, removing his mask and keeping his hood up.

"Greetings traveler," the man greeted, "I am Jack, and I welcome you to Arendelle."

"It seems that something is going on here," Hanzo asserted, "I heard from others that this is the annual winterfest."

"You are correct," Jack nodded, "May I ask, you don't look native to cold weather."

"I am very familiar with cold weather," Hanzo shrugged, "The cold has never bothered me."

The man seemed to give him a rather inquisitive stare, one that the Shirai-Ryu did not fail to notice.

"Is there something wrong," Hanzo asked cautiously.

"No sir," he assured, "I do not know if you know this, but our queen has the ability of ice and snow."

"I have heard," the ninja nodded, "But I know nothing of the queen. I cannot make a judgement based on no information."

"Very true," the man agreed, "Queen Elsa has been queen ever since last summer. Her powers came to be during the first day as queen."

"And how has it been since her powers came to light," Hanzo asked, "How does she rule?"

"Queen Elsa is a benevolent ruler," Jack explained, "She always believe that a healthy population is the key to a good kingdom. She comes occasionally to town and visits the people. She takes the well-being for the kingdom to heart and does everything in her ability to keep it safe, happy, and prosperous."

The notion of queen of such qualities seemed a bit unusual. It was not that royalty could not be kind to their own people, but Hanzo always seemed to think that people of noble, royal, or otherwise privileged status in society were very self-concerned. That was the impression he got as he travelled across the land. Maybe he was over exaggerating, but being among the common folk, as they were so fond of calling their subjects, was not a thing Hanzo thought that kings and queens did. Not that it mattered, but it was still curious.

"But I digress," Jack continued, "The winterfest, to answer your question, is a three-day celebration held annually around late to early spring. Today features the sled race with dogs as the main pullers. The second day is ice skating in the castle courtyard. The final day will feature a bit of a display by the queen."

"Hm," Hanzo responded, "I may choose to stay for the entire day, but where could I go to stay for the night?"

"There are several inns around the main square," Jack reported, "Fortunately, you're in luck. The holiday is meant to be exclusive to Arendelle citizens, though for the few travelers that wish to brave winter to come and see it, we won't object."

"My thanks for the information," Hanzo thanked, "I think I will take my leave."

"Enjoy your day sir," the man waved off.

Now that he was able to Hanzo began to walk around. The sounds of civilization working all around him alerted him that soon, the streets would become busier. It seemed that already, the main square of town was busy. Sleds were set up and many dogs were already attached to their respective sleds.

The Shirai-Ryu had never seen a race like this. Certainly dogs were common in that they were trained and used for many scenarios. The Shirai-Ryu trained war hounds to fight by their side. This was something different altogether. To use dogs for sports was unheard of to him. It did make some sense in a way, but would horses not be better served in this role? It was of no consequence what pulled the sleigh any way.

 _Does the queen come to witness these events, I wonder._

Hanzo felt compelled to witness the queen at least. He was curious to see the extent of her powers. If she was anything like Sub-Zero, which he highly doubted, then she would be very powerful.

But he would have to wait and see.

 **-[ X ]-**

By the time sunrise was complete, Anna still remained in bed, sleeping like there was no tomorrow. As princess, Anna knew that she didn't always have to get up early like Elsa did, and she made sure to get every wink of sleep she could. Sleeping was one of the best things ever for her. What would she do without sleep, she didn't even want to entertain that idea one bit.

But whenever someone knocked at her door to wake her up, Anna didn't really complain about that either. The days, especially since Elsa had come back into her life, were full of excitement, happiness, and love. It had been months, not a very long time, not compared to thirteen years, but Anna was enjoying every bit of joy from these few months. That's what she did best: be optimistic, as Elsa was trying to do more.

Today, like most days, the sound of Kai knocking at her door and telling her it was time to rise didn't escape the princess. But when she remembered that it was the first day of winterfest, she jumped out of bed with renewed energy. The next few days were going to be pretty amazing. Anna, for the first time, was going to be able to see this event that Arendelle celebrated. It was a traditional holiday for the townsfolk, and before the castle had been locked up, her late mother and father also participated in this event in person.

Anna quickly rose and dressed in outdoor gear before checking Elsa's room. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't there, as her older sister was always an early riser, but Anna knew of a few places where she might. So Anna's first place on her list of places where Elsa could be was the dining hall.

When she opened the doors to the dining was disappointed to see that nobody was there either. It looked like the meal had concluded some time ago, so Anna quickly went to the kitchen and decided to simply grab the first edible item, quickly gulp it down without tasting it, and take off again. She might've just eaten something that shouldn't have been eaten, but she couldn't have cared less right now.

She searched the vast halls also to find no such luck. The art gallery wasn't where she was either. There was no one in the garden. She wasn't in the throne room either. She wasn't in the library either, and Elsa spent a lot of time there. Where could her sister be at this hour if not in any of her usual places?

It was then that Anna realized that she hadn't seen Kristoff anywhere either. She then searched Kristoff's room, but was dismayed to see that he wasn't around either. She'd looked everywhere for Elsa and now Kristoff was gone too?

There was one more place that she hadn't looked: the courtyard.

When she not-so-quietly flung the doors to the courtyard open, she finally found where everyone was. Kristoff, Elsa, Sven, and Olaf were waiting for her. Elsa was dressed in her Snow Queen attire, as they all had appropriately dubbed it, sort of giving Anna a sigh and a shake of the head. Kristoff was dressed in his winter gear as well, looking somewhat amused at Anna. Sven and Olaf simply gave her a positive look. A sleight was attached to Sven with enough seats to fit them all.

"Anna, there you are," Elsa said, "We've been waiting for you. We're going to be late for the beginning of the race."

"Is there a day where you don't sleep in," Kristoff teased, "I swear, if I had a coin for every day you slept in, I'd be rich."

"But sleep promotes happiness," Olaf chimed in, "And happiness is what we all need."  
Sven couldn't talk, at least not without the aid of Kristoff, but he could respond with the eyes that spoke of his agreement as well as the nod of his head.

"Not fair guys," Anna mock-pouted, "I'm here all by my lonesome self to defend my privilege to sleep to my heart's content."

"Oh Anna is that any way to get help," Elsa smiled, "Sympathy? You know it doesn't work like that with us"

"Fine then," Anna huffed, "See if I do anything nice for you guy ever again. Especially you Kristoff."

Elsa smiled some more, Kristoff let off a light chuckle, and Olaf remained his obliviously-happy self with Sven simply agreeing once more. Anna maintained a pretend-hurt attitude. Seriously, why didn't Kristoff side with her about these things? He was courting her, and that meant that he should never take sides against her.

"Anna," Kristoff grinned, "You know that doesn't work on me."

"You're bluffing, and you know it," Anna retorted back.

The iceman didn't respond, but Anna could catch a momentary look of internal conflict in Kristoff's eyes. He was debating his response, and that satisfied the princess. She'd caught him exactly where she wanted him to be. If he said he didn't care for Anna's kindness and tenderness and love, then he'd go insane sooner or later. On the other hand, giving into Anna meant that she had him wrapped around her finger. She'd win either way. All she had to do was wait.

"Fine," he confessed, "Anna, you can sleep in whenever you want."

"Princess, one," Anna shouted, "Ice Master, zero."

"But seriously come on feisty pants," Kristoff urged, "We're gonna be late at this rate. We got maybe twenty minutes?"

Anna suddenly remembered why she was here to begin with and instantly shifted gears, resuming her positive mood.

"Then lets go," Anna exclaimed, "I call front seat."

"Then you wouldn't be sitting with Elsa," Kristoff pointed out.

"On second thought, I'm sitting in the back," the princess reconsidered, "Olaf, you can sit up front."

As they all got settled in and Kristoff urged Sven forward, Elsa leaned into her and held her hand.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you," Elsa asked, "I'm sure I've said that before."

"It never gets old," Anna assured, "You're the world to me."

"I'm pretty sure that there will be another that will be your world too," Elsa joked.

Anna blushed profusely. She wasn't one to say it that she and Kristoff were in this strange, unorthodox, but yet immensely happy courting relationship. She liked going slow like this so she could know the iceman better. And he did too. Ever since their first kiss, they had been cautious about intimacy. And for that, the princess was relieved. After that ordeal with Hans, she didn't want to ever rush-headlong into love again.

"I don't know about that," Anna bit her lips, "But it's gettin' there."

"And I'm glad it's taking time," Elsa spoke, "I don't want to see you hurt again."

"Kristoff," Anna scoffed, "Hurting me? Not on his worst day."

"I heard that Anna," Kristoff deadpanned, "And I'm not that nice."

"Really," Anna laughed, "Then explain the breakfast in bed and the stopping what you're doing to help me and the warm hugs and soft kisses and never once insulting me."

Kristoff didn't respond this time, but he'd pretty much resigned himself to giving up. He wasn't really going to win this fight. But then again, his pride could take a blow if it was for Anna. She did mean the world to him, even if he hadn't said the words yet.

And despite the many times Anna joked about his caring, she never took it for granted, because she wasn't that sort of person.

It didn't take them long to get to the outskirts of the crowd, but when they did, the people instantly took notice of them, and were quick to bow before the members of the royal family. Of course, being modest as they all were, Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff waved off the unnecessary niceties. Olaf simply said hi and lit up smiles all around him.

Anna, when it came to the people, felt very comfortable. She knew that was pretty terrible at acting like royalty, and Arendelle came to know their princess as such, but that only made her more liked among the people. She always tried to interact with them and learn about their lives and how she might be better able to help them. Unsurprisingly, the townsfolk had taken a liking to her. The children especially swarmed her and asked her all sorts of questions, some of them to the embarrassment of parents, but questions that the princess indulged regardless of how smart or stupid the questions sounded.

So it was only natural that as she went through the crowds, she could instantly recognize faces that she'd spoken to and helped before. In the months of the gates opening, Anna had gotten to know a lot of these people, some she might call friend even. They noticed her as well, and they all called out to her. Anna smiled her best smile and waved as much as she was able to.

So what Anna's eyes came upon a stranger, her interests were instantly piqued, because he stood out amongst the crowd, and quite profoundly.

While most of the outfits in the crowd were more or less similar in both color and design, this one was completely different. The man wore what she guessed was a sleeveless vest of yellow. The outfit was definitely not of Arendelle, and Anna might say that she hadn't ever seen an outfit like this one. There were many straps and buckles to his outfit as well. The only part of his arms that were covered were his forearms, something very strange indeed, and some might say inappropriate. Anna only noticed it for a second, but she also saw that some parts of his vest were uncovered, his sides. He wore a hood that obscured most of his features. And judging from his posture, rigid, unmoving, and mysterious, she could tell that he wasn't bothered by the cold in the least.

Then a crazy thought entered her head: what if he had powers like Elsa?

At face value, the thought was pretty far-fetched even in Anna's mind, but was it really that terribly far-fetched? Elsa had powers, so that could mean that there were lots of people out there with powers. Anna had heard that the princess of Corona had powers to heal, or so the rumors said. The princess and her husband were in attendance for Elsa's coronation, but Anna hadn't gotten to talking to them. She wished she could've found out if the rumors were true or not.

If they were true, oh how she would eagerly introduce Rapunzel to Elsa. The two might find some common grounds in being magical. As much as Elsa was like everyone else, she still was unique.

"Anna, you coming," Elsa called out.

Anna's thoughts were brought back to reality, but by the time she could look for the stranger, he had moved. like he knew that he was being watched by the princess.

 _Strange_ , Anna thought, _Maybe I'm seeing things._

Anna felt Elsa grab her hand and pull her towards the main section of the square where all of the contestants were lining up to go. They were getting front row seats practically.

The race was going to start soon. It would take the better part of the the day for it to complete. By sunset, all of them would be back. This year, there was a very big turnout. At least twenty competitors were lined up. The dogs were more than eager to get moving.

All lined up, the announcer stood from a podium ready to announce the start of the race. It was going to be pretty exciting.

 **I thought I'd switch up Elsa and Anna's perspective. In fact, I'd probably switch up perspectives often if you guys think it would be a good idea. Variety is what makes anything good, I think.**

 **I've got the meeting scenario planned out, as well as a story mapped out. It will take a while to get down, but hey, that's the fun of writing. Like I've said before, this is going to take a while, and with this being more of a side project as of now, it will take even more time, but don't lose hope. I certainly won't.**

 **Anyway, if you loved this chapter, then leave it in a review. If you hated this chapter, then tell me why. If you have ideas or critique, then send it my way. All reviews are read. You can call me out on grammar errors too.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember, grief is the price we pay for love.**

 **Peace out!**


	5. Chapter 5: Family and Etcetera

Chapter 5: Family and Etcetera

 **Arendelle**

 **March 1 1847**

 **Morning**

This was a most interesting thing indeed. Hanzo Hasashi could say that he had not ever seen a competitive sport such as this. So he watched on with great intrigue. There were a wide assortment of dogs and sleds. Each of them bearing the symbol of Arendelle, but retaining a unique look. Some were designed elaborately, while others were simple. Hanzo appreciated simplicity a lot, but he also admired complexity as well. He had been taught that in order to develop an unbiased, fair judgement of things, he had to look at all sides of the issue and only decided based upon logical conclusions, not emotionally-driven ones.

So it was with great interest that he began to pursue the races once they went across the start line. He wanted to follow them, and having the abilities of Scorpion, he pursued, keeping himself concealed by staying in the trees, placing himself so that he had an ideal view, but also where they could not see him.

Hanzo found that subduing Scorpion was not terribly difficult as he once believed it to be, but he still treaded lightly regardless. He had not lost control of his wraith side since returning to the living. Ever since then, he trained himself in it's abilities. The Shirai-Ryu concluded that perhaps the Scorpion persona was driven by emotion, and it made sense.

As Scorpion, his powers were greatest when enraged or angered. Hanzo simply used powers without casting intense emotions. He remained distant and attached, and his powers still were substantial. He was most powerful in the Netherrealm as a Revenant and he likely still was just as powerful in his mortal form. But Hanzo did not dwell too much on his powers. He no longer relied on them as much as he use to. He did not have the powers before his death, so the Shirai-Ryu simply wanted to make sure that he had not lost his edge.

With practiced ease, Hanzo summoned his teleportation ability to follow the racers. It may have seemed a bit odd, but to Hanzo, what he considered unusual was far beyond what any normal Human being would ever think.

All the while, the ninja kept watch of the sun in the sky. Judging by the path of the course and that of the sun, it would take all day and into early evening before the first racer would return. A day-long event was something that Hanzo was fine with witnessing. It was a means to keep his mind off other things.

But in the back of his mind, Hanzo wanted to sorely see the Snow Queen, as Arendelle seemed fond of calling the reigning monarch. He had caught a brief glance at the queen along with another young woman who looked very similar. Both had the blue eyes and the similar-shaped faces. They looked like sisters, and he seemed to recall the red-haired sister looking and spotting him. She seemed somewhat observant and confused by him. This was the last thing Hanzo wanted.

Attention from monarchs were something the yellow-clad cared not to indulge in, because more likely than not, it would guarantee bad things.

Shaking his mind from his flurry of thoughts, Hanzo saw that the journey was now going deeper into the forest. where a more clear path was seen. Deciding that a high vantage point was suitable for viewing without having to move so often, Hanzo quickly scanned his area. Spotting a nearby cliff edge, he summoned his powers again, feeling his body move instantaneously.

Once where he wished to be, he took stock of his surroundings. It afforded a rather nice view. The snow covering the landscape was indeed giving the land a sure of pure and virtuous tidings. In a way. Hanzo felt that his presence was welcoming. His conduct over the years as an assassin and as Scorpion burned at him. Was it a mistake coming here, he wondered. Was it worth the time and effort.

What he would not give to have a solid and straightforward answer for once in his life, because then he might be at true peace.

The sound of something sliding against the snow makes his eyes turn to see multiple sleds passing by a curve in the trail. Not a particularly difficult turn, but with all of those dogs pulling at the sled, timing must be critical to make certain that nothing goes wrong.

Hanzo was about to continue to follow them when he suddenly realized something unusual. He turned his head to face the mountains in the distance.

As a Shirai-Ryu, he was trained in all of his senses to their fullest. Sight was among the more critical of these senses in order to make certain he was working at his finest in terms of physical perception of his enemy and his surroundings. So it was only natural that he be able to spot unusual things or things that other would normally overlook or dismiss without looking more carefully.

So it was with this sharp eyesight that he spotted something in the distance, along with the peaks of the mountains. From this distance, they appeared rather small in size as he could see them from the very top to what appeared to be the lower portion of the bottom. But the mountains themselves were not of interest. Rather, it was something that did not appear natural. It looked like a structure.

Hanzo narrowed his vision on the object. Maybe he should get closer to it. He had the time to spare and this festival was for three days, as he heard. As much as he enjoyed some of these events, what he was most interested in was the third day.

Hanzo was intrigued by this snow queen. A royal had immense power already: wealth, influence, and knowledge likely. To give one actually supernatural powers was something else entirely, now that was something that the ninja had not heard of before.

Hanzo reappeared on the physical plane to find himself closer. It was indeed a structure, and not just any structure, but a castle? A castle in the mountains? It sounded extremely impractical not to mention very unusual?

 _Perhaps this is worthy of my attention._

So once again, Hanzo spotted what appeared to be somewhat flat terrain and called upon his powers and felt himself disappear from the world again.

As he called upon his powers, he was suddenly caught by his time as Scorpion. The first time that he used his new powers, it was a foreign and unfamiliar concept to him. Hanzo knew nothing of powers before then. He was simply a normal human, simply trained and deadly to a fault. The one one that he knew who had powers was the Lin Kuei assassin Sub-Zero, or Bi-Han, as he came to learn later.

To be able to fight with powers was something that Scorpion was not really excited about, nor saddened about. He was only revived so he could avenge his death and that of his clan. That was all that mattered. In exchange, all Quan Chi wished was his loyalty.

There was nothing else to it, that was until he learned the truth. And when he did, not even Quan Chi could control him. Nothing could control him when his rage and his anger were at their peak.

He could recall the sorcerer's face before dealing the death blow. It was satisfying, and yet it was not. His true enemy was dead, but now his sins were conspiring to guilt-trip him. Hanzo dared not to try and rationalize or justify himself for his actions. He took full responsibility for his atrocious actions. Because no could, and would ever accept him otherwise.

The Shirai-Ryu once again appeared, this time close to the castle in the mountains, and when he stared at it again, another thing became apparent: it was glowing rather brilliantly, like a light off of a mirror.

 _Is that ice? Is this castle...made of ice? Is that even...it must be. I am looking at it after all._

Hanzo simple had to see it now. Unnatural things piqued his curiosity naturally.

 **-[ X ]-**

Olaf the Snowman bounded happily through the crowd, receiving some still-surprised and unusual stares. They were weary of him, but Olaf thought that they simply needed a hug. He wasn't out to get anyone, but they didn't know. He didn't blame them either.

So whenever he wasn't doing things for Elsa or Anna or Kristoff, or Sven, he would go around just being carefree and happy. He could the number of times that he was in a sad, depressed, angry, or otherwise negative mood on one hand. So that was one good thing he could say to everyone.

The bulbing snowman was in the best of times during the winter. He simply delighted in the snow that lay everywhere. He could roll in it, create amazing shapes, make shapes, the possibilities were endless. And his imagination even more so. If he could, he and Anna and Elsa would play in it. They would have snowball fights, and sometimes, Kristoff might be convinced to join in even if it wasn't really his thing.

All in all, there wasn't much to complain about in this life. Olaf had good company, good food, winter and summer and spring and fall, a home, and all the happiness in the world. Nothing to complain about.

But as happy as he was, the snowman was also caring and devoted to the two royal sisters, Kristoff, and Sven. Whenever there was a mood that got them down, he'd be there to comfort them, to give a shoulder to cry on, albeit a small one, and a cold one. More often than not, he was a good thing for everyone. A few hugs and some words of surprising wisdom, and he could easily make a rather negative mood dissipate into the wind.

But that wasn't his purpose now. Right now, he was taking part in the winter festival, and he was excited to see what all the fuss was about. He really couldn't say that he'd ever thought about using dogs to pull a sled and go. The racers had already left some time ago, so he was doing what he could to entertain others. Children were currently his company right now. They always laughed and played with him. They might even be making a snowman with all the wet snow on the ground, but he'd do

Olaf had been so engrossed with entertaining kids that he paid no mind to the mission presence of his friends. Well, he could find them easily. They all sort of stood out more or less.

"Olaf," Anna's voice called out, "Where are you?"

Or one of them would find him. That is, if he paid any attention to anything but what he was doing at present.

"OLAF," her voice screamed louder.

This time, Olaf finally broke his attention away from the kids and looked around, not taking much effort to find Anna in the crowd.

"Anna," he called out, "Want to help me spread happiness?"

At the sound of Anna's name, the kids turned to her and instantly crowded around her, asking her a million questions a minute. However, she retained her infectious smile as she tried to kneel down and give each child some attention, or as much as she could.

It wasn't long before others noticed the princess being swarmed by the kids and parents began to reach for their kids, calling for them to give Anna room. The children were reluctant, but didn't disobey their parents. Anna gave them all the best smile she could. The little ones all said their goodbyes to the princess as they were scattered. Anna stood up, stumbling for a moment before regaining her footing.

"Olaf," she resumed her attention, "Thank goodness, I was getting worried. Why weren't you sticking with us?"

"Just wanted to play with the kids," Olaf grinned, "They like a real live snowman."

"Well don't go anywhere without us knowing," Anna reminded him, "We do worry about you."

"Thanks Anna," Olaf smiled.

He went up to her to give her the best hug possible given his stature. Anna did the only thing possible: hug him back. It never got old. It was Olaf for crying out loud; he lived to give out free warm hugs and joy to everyone.

"So where is everyone else," Olaf asked her, releasing her from his stick arms.

"Come on," she motioned, "Elsa's with Kristoff and Sven."

Without questioning it, Olaf simply turned to bound after Anna, who was moving as fast as she could and trying not slip and fall like she'd done so many times before. But Olaf never laughed at her getting hurt. It was funny to see Anna be clumsy, but he would then help her out and she was grateful for that.

Soon enough the rest of their friends and family came into view. Elsa was currently talking to one of the villagers, the woman listening with rapt attention to her royal highness. No doubt that the conversation was a simple casual one. Elsa was one to interact with her people often, trying to gauge how she was doing as a ruler. She would come out at least once a week to visit her people, pay respects, and ask around how things were in general.

Kristoff and Sven were nearby, looking like they were waiting for someone. Probably Anna, if Olaf had to guess. Even now, Olaf still had found times where Kristoff wasn't one to return hugs, but Olaf knew that if he kept doing it, eventually the Ice Master would give in. He had to in order to please Anna and Elsa. But if there was one thing that he still struggled with was with holding a conversation casually.

Olaf wasn't oblivious to these things. More than anyone thought, he was a very noticeable snowman. Another thing he was good at was sharing what he knew in the times when it was most important. Of course that was just his thing, noticing but not bringing it up until someone, at least the things that people sometimes forgot.

Elsa turned to see her creation and her sister coming, but that didn't stop her from talking to the woman. In fact, she greeted the newcomers with a genuine smile.

"Princess Anna, Snoman Olaf," she greeted, "It is nice to see you two."

"It's good to be out," Anna affirmed, "Just perfect. Winter gives the land more beauty. It's amazing."

"No arguments there. Anyway, speaking of winter, I was just asking your sister about the demonstration she will give during the final day."

Olaf lit up at this. Truly Elsa was something else when she was working her magic. Her way was elegant, graceful, and beautiful. Everyone who watched her did so with complete awe and "starry-eyed" as Anna had put it. It was like a trance; once in, it was very hard not to stop watching. And Olaf, even being a snowman and a live one at that, still found Elsa to be amazing like that.

"It's going to be the best day," Anna exclaimed, "Just her, and the magic."

"There's no questioning that," the villager nodded, "Well, I must be off. I wish you both a wonderful day, your majesties."

"Thank you very much, Elizabeth," Elsa said.

With exchanges of goodbyes, the entire group of friends and family, they all now turned to look at one another. At first, that was all they did, then Anna for some reason started to laugh. Elsa then joined in, albeit trying to stifle the laugh. Kristoff chuckled rather loudly. Sven did his best to mimic a laugh while Olaf joined in. He wasn't sure why he had to, but why not?

 **-[ X ]-**

"What was that about Anna," Elsa struggled to retain her breath.

"Don't know," Anna continued to laugh, "But why should I care? I'm the happiest person in the entire world."

"The best part about you," Kristoff said honestly.

Elsa watched the two make brief eye contact. It was a small moment, but still a tender moment of affection for one another. Another reason to be happy today.

So far the day had been nothing but pure and unaltered happiness. These days were sometimes difficult to come across. Elsa may be the queen who was able to work long hours and be patient and diplomatic and intelligent, but that didn't means she always wanted to do it. Days like these, the days of complete and utter bliss in the company of her sister and her best friends, were the days she treasured the most.

Naturally, she was an early rise, as was Kristoff. Often times, it was these times that the two talked a lot. Despite growing up in different circumstances, Elsa in the castle, and Kristoff out in the wild with Trolls, they both shared an understanding of isolation from people in general. The conversation could go on for a long time and Elsa sorely appreciated the conversations because they were mostly about just casual things, like their lives in the present, the past occasionally, and Anna.

And speaking of Anna, Elsa wasn't terribly surprised that Anna slept in again. The princess was like that, and more than once, Elsa had come into her sister's room to wake her up, and giggling at the sight of very messy hair. Elsa experienced the same thing too, but seeing it one someone else other than herself was different.

Elsa recalled her and Kristoff, and they started to wonder if she would ever get up for the beginning of the sled races. Luckily, Anna had finally managed to get up, and they'd more or less teased her about it, to which she resorted to a mock-pouty mood.

Then came the greeting of Arendelle, and Anna was on that one without hesitation. She greeted those that she knew and waved to everyone with her best friendly face possible.

But today, Anna had done something that Elsa had noticed was different when greeting: she paused, like she'd spotted something unusual. When Elsa had reached for her sister and pulled her along, she could tell that her sister's attention was on something, and very attentively. So naturally Elsa tried to spot what was getting Anna's attention, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe she missed it, or maybe Anna saw something she didn't.

Elsa wondered if maybe Anna might be inclined to tell her what she saw. But with all the joy in their strange little group, how could the snow queen do such a thing?

So maybe Elsa could be subtle and coax it out without being obvious about it. That was what she was good at: getting answers when people didn't really expect it. Elsa took a moment to consider what she was going to say. Then an idea came to mind

"How many face have you greeted Anna," Elsa asked casually, "Your fans never fail to amaze me."

"You've got just as many," Anna turned to Elsa, "But yeah, saw everyone, and then some."

"And then some," Kristoff raised an eyebrow.

"Just my imagination," Anna shrugged, "Or maybe I'm losing, but I picked out a needle in the haystack."

"Just how much of a needle," Elsa inquired, "Usually you aren't bothered by different people."

"This was different," Anna crossed her arms, "At first glance, I could tell something about him wasn't normal. And it's not just because of the outstanding outfit he wore. But because of the posture, his hidden features."

Elsa maintained a rather neutral expression, but inwardly, she was frowning. Over the few months that Elsa had come to understand Anna as a person, she learned that Anna's instincts were all over the place. They could be dead wrong or dead right, never one or the other for certain.

But this time, Anna seemed certain that she saw something, or in this case, someone out of the ordinary.

"Describe him," Elsa requested.

"Tall, large figure, yellow vest, I couldn't be sure," Anna elaborated, "Hooded head, couldn't make out his face. Outfit didn't look very insulated, but he acted like it was a summer day."

Elsa contemplated this for a moment. Strange was the first thing that popped into her mind. The problem was though that Elsa really didn't know what to picture. Yellow vest, tall, somewhat exposed. That painted a lot of pictures.

"Anything else," Kristoff continued, "Kinda vague Anna."

"Well…"

Anna's arms remained crossed as she thought over what she saw. Elsa and Kristoff watched her reaction while Olaf climbed onto Sven and watched the conversation. Both simply listened in on the conversation.

"Can't really say much else," Anna concluded, "Really, just unusual and off. Just a vibe."

"That actually gets me interested," Kristoff said, "You're not the kind of person that senses vibes all the time."

With Kristoff's words, Elsa felt a sense of small relief. She wasn't the only one who was more or less sure that Anna just might be onto something.

"Tell you what," Anna chimed in, "If I see him again, I'll point him out. He's impossible to miss."

Elsa and Kristoff merely nodded. They trusted Anna more than anyone else.

"So what now," Anna looked around.

 _What now indeed,_ Elsa thought.

Looking up at the sky, it was now early afternoon. It would at least another six to seven hours before the final races came back.

"How about lunch," the elder sister suggested.

"Do we get chocolate with it," Anna lit up with anticipation.

"Do you need to ask me that," Elsa grinned widely.

They both turned to Kristoff, who shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't let me stop you two," he waved off, "When it comes to chocolate, I know better than to get in the way."

"No point in denying it," Anna giggled, "I've got you wrapped around my little finger."

"What can I say," Kristoff sighed, "I guess I'm a sucker for this kind of things."

With that, Anna took a step towards the Ice Master, lifted herself to his cheek and gave a small peck. It was momentary, but the meaning was evident. Elsa simply shook her head in amusement.

"But," Kristoff did a double take, "There are perks."

"That's more like it," Anna beamed, "You'll be alright without me?"

"Go on," he encouraged, "You two have fun. We'll be exploring around."

Without Elsa's word, Anna grabbed her sister and began to navigate her way through the village. The people were careful not to bump into them, though they did laugh at the rather excited princess dragging along a rather reluctant queen. Everyone knew about this sort of sisterly love, and they more or less could appreciate and understand it.

"So what kind of chocolate today," Anna asked eagerly, "I'm thinkin' peanut butter chocolate."

"I'm thinking white chocolate for today," Elsa responded as she struggled to match Anna's quickened pace.

"Knew it," Anna laughed, "Your favorite kind."

"Some people can't be as chaotic as you Anna," Elsa called out. "Some people appreciate stability."

"But there's so many chocolate types," Anna said, "Variety is the best thing ever."

"Tell it to someone who'll listen," Elsa retorted sarcastically.

The two then entered the very familiar shop for those with a sweet tooth. How fortunate that there was a chocolate shop in the village center. Anna visited this place quite frequently, as as a result, the shopkeeper, Harold, a middle-aged man greeted them quickly and with a casual smile.

"What will it be today, Princess Anna," he spoke.

"Peanut butter," the younger sister sounded off.

"And for you, Queen Elsa," he turned to the elder sister.

"White," she said simply.

"I'll be back in but a moment," he said, "If there's anything else you two want, don't hesitate to tell me."

The man turned to another doorway nearby, having to go through likely a vast storage of the treats.

"What I wouldn't give for a chocolate wonderland," Anna sighed dreamily, "I'd be content for the rest of my life."

"Dream on sister," Elsa took Anna's hand, "It's not a bad dream to have."

A moment later, the smell of their awaited prizes came to their senses. Harold had returned and with a small tray containing ten pieces, five peanut butter, five white.

"Enjoy."

Without a moment to waste, Anna took two peanut butter and began to eat them ferociously.

"Anna," Elsa scolded, "What do you say?"

"Thank you," Anna said with her mouth somewhat full.

Harold just laughed heartily.

"You are quite welcome, princess," he continued to laugh.

Elsa shook her head with a smile plastered on her face This was typical Anna when dealing with chocolate.

 **Long time? You know it, but I'm in college, so expect updates to be rather sparse. I'm still not certain as to how I'm going to fit time for this story in my schedule, but I'll manage it somehow.**

 **So the story moves along. More family bonding. Truly the sister relationship between Anna and Elsa is one that I'm sure lots of people can appreciate. I wish I could say that I had a sibling like that, but I'm an only child. The story moves along slowly, but this is so you guys have more to read. Expect more Hanzo POV's in later chapters. The first encounter is planned out and I look forward to it.**

 **If you loved this chapter, leave it in a review. If you hated this chapter, tell me why. If you have an opinion or idea to give, send it my way, and you guys can call me out on grammar because I didn't proofread this.**

 **Hope you all had a great summer and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and remember, love has reasons which reason cannot understand.**

 **Peace out!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Work of a Cryomancer

Chapter 6: The Work of a Cryomancer

 **Arendelle**

 **Afternoon**

When Hanzo Hasashi finished scaling the rest of the mountains, to say that he was surprised and amazed, would be just a minor understatement.

His eyes had not deceived him when he thought he saw a castle, because it was a true castle, but it was not constructed of the normal stones and wood and metals that a traditional castle was composed of, but rather that of ice. Pure, flawless, uncut, polished, brilliant, and beautiful ice. In fact, Hanzo felt that this sort of work was not the result of man, but that of an angel or some heavenly deity. There was no way physically possible that any sort of man-made technology could carve a structure this perfect and this flawless.

So naturally, the Shirai-Ryu instantly attributed this to the work of a magic-wielder, a cryomancer to be more specific. No one else would be able to do work of this magnitude. However, this was not simple feat to create this castle. This would take a creative mind and a powerful caster. Never before had Hanzo seen magic work on this sort of creative level. Usually, people used these powers for fear or intimidation or kombat. It was awkward and somewhat embarrassing to remember that all magical powers were not always best served as a blunt weapon, but as an innovative tool.

He took a step up the stairs, noticing that there were no tool marks whatsoever on this ice. All of it was smooth and completely without flaws. And Hanzo knew from experience that anything that was touched by man was scarred in one form or another. This had to be the work of magic. And he was thorough in how much he searched. And as he ascended, the same could be said for the end as the beginning: flawless.

Hanzo turned his head to face to see the rather large door with intricate symbols and snowflakes on the door itself. It was a beautiful design, elegant and symmetrical. And very thoughtful strangely enough.

As Hanzo reached to open the door, his mind stopped.

He was entering a castle without any sort of protection or weapons. And to top it off, he was going to enter without alerting any potential residents inside. Definitely not a good thing to be doing, especially given that he was an outsider here. Better to approach in a more polite tone and to be armed in the event that he had to defend himself.

So with a flick of his thoughts, his twin swords appeared on his back and he carefully replaced his mask over his hooded face. His twin kunais were ready to strike as well. Now he could be ready.

With a sigh, he knocked very loudly against the door. He did so four times, and waited for only several seconds.

Hanzo had been expecting many things: a person, nobody, or some creature. He was not above even the smallest of superstitions or rumors. He was ready to believe in a lot of things due to his time in the Netherrealm. Still, as the door opened, he was still slightly surprised to see a giant monster open the door and look to its left and right. It took a moment before it looked down at him.

Then there was absolute silence. Neither of them moved. Neither of them said anything. Neither of them did anything at all. Eyes stared at each other very carefully, waiting for the other to make a move or do something to break the strangely non-hostile silence.

In the past, the Shirai-Ryu might have attacked on sight as that him as an assassin. He might say that this thing was an abomination that needed putting down. He might have scorned its name.

But now, Hanzo's view on the living was far different than it was many years ago. For one, anything that displayed intelligence like this monster did was living by his standard. Perhaps he, Hanzo guessed, may not be a normal living thing, but he was living nonetheless. And Hanzo could not bring himself to kill a living thing, at least not like this. This castle was likely his home.

Now that he thought of it, he did recall a snowman bobbing through the streets with the two royalty. Hanzo had to believe that these two were of the same creator, so this was Queen Elsa's magic at work here. But one was human-like while this one was more or less meant to threaten and fight.

 _Could she have lived here in the past,_ Hanzo wondered, _It would make sense._

Finally, deciding on a course of action, Hanzo mentally prepared himself, then spoke some words to see what would happen.

"You are the keeper of this castle," Hanzo asked.

The snowman regarded him for a moment, then nodded a single nod, then resumed being silent.

Well, so far so good. Nobody was dead, and no hostility was raised.

"Does anyone live here," he asked another question.

"There is no one else here," the snowman answered, "Queen Elsa has left the castle in my care."

Would the snowman be willing to permit him to enter, he did not know, but seeing that there really was only one person living here, he might as well try.

"May I enter," the Shirai-Ryu inquired.

It was the snowman's turn to think, and despite there being no eyeballs to look at in order to get a reading of possible conflict, Hanzo waited patiently, as that was the only thing he could do now.

"Do not disturb anything," the snowman grumbled, "Otherwise you won't come back."

"I only aim to observe. Nothing more."

The snowman simply stepped aside and Hanzo jumped at the chance and entered.

The first thing that the man realized once he entered was that the main room was very spacious. The ceiling was very high above and made the castle seem far larger on the inside than the outside. Looking at the ceiling, he saw yet another snowflake design, this one perfectly-made as well. It was sort of a like a combination of a courtyard and a ballroom, or at least that was what Hanzo thought was the correct terms. He had never seen the inside of a castle before.

Two stairways led to a doorway at the far end. And from there, there were more stairs leading to a higher level. And his gaze turned to the stairway that led higher. Definitely more to explore.

But before he could go up, he turned to the snowman who was watching him. He motioned his head to the stairs. The snowman followed his gaze, realizing what the man wanted and simply nodded once again.

Making sure that he would not slip, Hanzo quickly made his way up, simply taking in the serene surroundings. He made certain that whenever he touched was his most calming touch. It seemed wrong to hurt this place, even if only in the slightest.

The stairs led to a smaller. He simply took in the beauty of it.

Then his gaze fell to the floor. It was like there was a giant snowflake sculpture embedded in the floor.

He made his way to the center of the room, and stopped exactly in the center. Suddenly feeling the need, he leaned down and gently brushed the design with the tips of his fingers, the only part of his hands that were not covered.

And then, images started flashing. Images that Hanzo did not recognize in the least. They were fast and even he could barely make them out. but he could "hear" the images better than he could see them.

 _"You do not have to stand against me. You can surrender."_

 _"I know you will."_

 _"You are in danger."_

 _"My name is Hanzo Hasashi!"_

 _"GET OVER HERE!"_

 _"You and I share burden."_

 _"I will never again kneel!"_

 _"You're not afraid of me."_

 _"Who...are...you?"_

 _"Go!"_

 _"I'm not afraid."_

 _"We are not friends."_

 _"Words cannot describe what I feel."_

And then it was all over in that instant.

Hanzo remained calm and grounded, but he still had no idea what to make of what had just happened.

Exhaling a breath from his mouth heavily and letting himself rise to his full height. He once again began to feel his surroundings. It was still peaceful, still beautiful, still quiet. There was no one else here besides the snowman.

A door towards his left prompted him to go see where this was.

The doors responded to him immediately without having to do anything. Hanzo was puzzled at this, but not surprised. It was like this place was responding to him.

But that seemed like a really outlandish thing. Things did not respond to people. Or did they?

If this place was created from magic, then it stood to reason that magic-wielders could make this place respond to the will of magic. And since the Shirai-Ryu still possessed some form of magic, or sorcery more specifically, then maybe it was responding to him as well.

The view outside was quite the spectacle. Hanzo had been to many high vantage points. It was quite the thing to look down at the world is realize just how small it could be out there. The castle was just about at the peak of the mountain, and it afforded a luxurious view of Arendelle and the surrounding environment. It was quite the site that he took in very much. And the snow up on the mountains seemed to enhance the image greatly.

Earthrealm was but one world out of the many that lined the universe. And he had travelled these places before. And the fact that many on this world were not even aware of other worlds was saddening to say the least. So many worlds he had seen, so many wonders he had seen, so many people he had witnessed. If only he could have shared it with his wife and his son. If only they were alive.

But as it was, there were no rules posed by the Elder Gods regarding knowledge of the realms. In fact, Earthrealm warriors had already travelled. The White Lotus and the Shaolin were among the most infamous of these people. The Lin Kuei participated, and perhaps if the Shirai-Ryu had been alive, they would have participated as well.

But Hanzo would not spend much time trying to think about it. As far as he was concerned, the events of the other realms did not concern him as long as Earthrealm was left unharmed. The beauty of this world was not something that could be easily repaired should it be damaged. Hanzo had personally seen what destruction could result from war among realms. They were bloody, brutal, and horrible. And despite being use to the sight of death and blood and violence, it did not mean he never thought about it.

 _There is no use in wishing for what can never be. I am not the same person as I was then. I will never be the same, and perhaps there is a reason for that._

Hanzo pulled himself from this spiral of images and refocused back on the image at present. His breath was hot against the cold air surrounding. The air was still clean, and there was no sound. All in all, this was a place where one could enjoy isolation without disturbance.

Having had a sufficient tour of the castle, Hanzo simply turned to exit the room, down the stairs to the waiting snowman. As he did when entering, he took extra care where he stepped, making sure not to make any marks. When the ninja reached the massive doorway to the outside, he turned to sole resident.

"I thank you for tolerating my presence," he addressed.

The giant nodded once more, a simple gesture, but one that Hanzo noticed and nodded back to. Now this was a story that he was going to have to save for later, maybe not one of his most exciting, but an unusual one nonetheless.

And that thought brought out a rare smile that he had not done in many years. And that simple smile reminded him that even when all seemed bleak, there was still hope for something better.

 **-[X]-**

It would only be a couple hours more until the race was over. Elsa had taken to simply walking around the village and talking to her people. Normally, if this were any other time, she could be bothered by other more pressing business that sometimes required her immediate attention. And she hated to make people think she was abandoning them. There was nothing more important duty as queen then protecting her own people.

But this was the winterfest, so it was for these three days that she wouldn't be bothered by any sort of business of the kingdom because this was a time for her to be around her people and her family. She might still have to get up early, but it was on her terms and it was however she wished it to be. She wouldn't have to get up for meetings with dignitaries or with her council to convene about matters regarding Arendelle. She would get up, eat breakfast at her own pace, take a moment to reflect upon how good life was now, and just be happy that Anna was her sister and she was alive and happy and in good health. In addition, she would dabble a bit in her powers of ice and snow and the cold.

Despite being immune to the effects of the cold, Elsa was always courteous about the cold regardless. No one was cold-resistant like her, at least not in the same way as her. She mostly chose to wear the light dress of the snow queen, but even the lightest of dresses would be fine. And truth be told, Elsa never cared for heavy clothing to begin with. She tried once already, a long time ago. It just didn't agree with her, so her parents hadn't pushed the issue when they thought she was cold.

So she did feel bad whenever Anna and Kristoff had to be wearing somewhat thick sweaters and coats. She worried less about Kristoff because he'd grown up in the cold and was the Arendelle Ice Master. Anna, on the other hand, wasn't quite as resistant. But Anna insisted she was okay and nothing was going to happen to her.

The words may have be sincere, but Elsa still worried endlessly. It was Anna, her only living and breathing family that she had left. Of course she had well reason to worry. She had killed her after, even if only for the briefest of times. That memory had been embedded deep within her mind, and Elsa was certain it was not going to go away, at least not for a long time.

Anna would never really know it, but Elsa still held that memory and she was not going to let it go easily. It was often the source of a nightmare when she slept. No matter what her worst fears were seeing harm coming to Elsa. But Elsa was not so much afraid of hurting Anna with her own powers, but by some other means. The two had only been reunited after thirteen long years, and despite their loving relationship, Elsa still held onto the fear of something happening to Anna.

And then she was reminded of the fact that Anna was a strong and spirited woman, always one to search for the answer, the best one possible. Elsa was blessed beyond reason to have a sister who cared for her more than life itself. And in that moment that Anna returned to life no worse for wear, Elsa had come to realize that she was being selfish in many ways. She was so worried about her own well-being that she didn't really understand what she had until she lost it.

And yet through all of this, Elsa would often ask herself if she would go back and change her life in any way. She asked herself that question a lot, almost on a daily basis. Would she go back and change the events of her life? Would she do it?

And even more amazing was the fact that Elsa would say that no. She would not change anything. She had Anna, she had friends, and she had freedom. And those were the things she treasured dearly. If not for the events of her life, then she wouldn't have what she had now. The road up to this point had been a hard one, but in end, everything worked out.

"Elsa," Anna exclaimed, "You're daydreaming again."

Elsa took a moment to get reoriented with her surroundings. Anna was standing not far from Elsa giving her the worried look.

"I'm fine, Anna," Elsa replied thoughtfully, "Just reminiscing."

"About," Anna asked expectedly.

"How great our lives are," Elsa smiled honestly, "I guess in the end, everything worked out."

"That's why I love you Elsa," Anna hugged tightly, "You've always been hopeful. Even if you didn't always see it."

Elsa returned the embrace. Anna's hugs never ceased to amaze. They were warm, undeniably so, but just physically, but emotionally. It melted all form of bad feelings and all that was left was pure unbridled happiness.

They broke from the hug, still smiling all over.

"That never gets old," Kristoff remarked, "I just can't explain why."

"I can," Anna chimed in, "Because we're undeniably the best."

"Uh-huh," Kristoff skeptically replied.

"Tell him, Sven," Anna turned to the reindeer, "We're the best."

The reindeer looked between his best friend and his two female friends. He then retreated, from Kristoff. The iceman had to steady himself so that his lean on Sven didn't cause him to fall. The reindeer clearly didn't want to choose between friends.

"I think Anna and Elsa are the best," Olaf shouted.

"See," Elsa joined in, "Olaf agrees with us Kristoff."

"You guys," he grunted, "Are impossible sometimes."

"But you love it," Anna laughed, "Come on, would be fun to hang around if we agreed with you on everything?"

"Point taken," he nodded.

"But don't lose faith. You can be part of the awesome," Anna suggested, "In fact, we can all be part of the awesome."

"So we're like an exclusive group now," Kristoff stiffed a small laugh, "At least give it a better name."

"Don't ever doubt my naming skills," Anna retorted.

"Okay," he raised his hands in defeat. "I don't."

"Anna, don't torture him," Elsa giggled, "He can't help that you have great ideas a lot."

Anna turned her head to Elsa incredulously. Elsa simply put a mild look of innocence so as not to give her baby sister a reason to point out the slight jab. But her efforts were for nought as her almost-neutral expression faltered.

"Elsa," Anna scolded, "Back me up here. You're my sister. At least say that we're awesome."

"We are," the elder sister agreed, "But your name for is...how should I say...lacking."

"Ice Master: 1. Princess: 1," Kristoff said, "We're even."

"Oh it's on now," Anna turned to him again, "And I play to win."

"We'll see," Kristoff shook his head.

Elsa's attention momentarily went to the Northern Mountains. She hadn't meant to look there intentionally, but she'd already done it.

And for some odd reason, she couldn't help but feel that there was something weird going on up there, like something was happening there.

She turned her head more to stare at the place where her ice castle roughly was. She looked harder. That feeling, it didn't go away. It still touched her somewhere. The touch wasn't physical, but it was something she felt.

Was it something in her castle? Perhaps a person? Or maybe she was just being paranoid and weird? Which was worse?

And now she was wondering where in the world these sporadic thoughts came from. Just a moment ago, everything was great.

"Elsa," Anna shouted, "You're doing it again!"

Elsa noticed that Anna had shouted loud enough to attract some attention. She suddenly found herself to be very self-conscious.

"Sorry Anna," Elsa shrugged a bit, "Just a funny feeling."

"Like what," Anna asked.

"If I knew that," Elsa sighed, "I'd tell you, but this was...I don't even know how to tell you without confusing you."

"Then take your time," Anna shrugged back, "You'll figure it out."

With a nod, Elsa took a look around, dismayed to see that Olaf, Sven, and Kristoff were now gone.

"Hey, where did the guys go," Elsa looked around.

"Kristoff went to help Edward and Gerald," Anna said.

"Kristoff helping someone," Elsa eyed Anna, "I'll believe it when I fly."

"Kristoff is getting better at this Human contact thing," Anna argued, "If they'd asked him to help months ago, he'd say no. He's really changing."

"Your influence does wonders for people, Anna."

"Aren't I the best, big sister?"

"Most of the time."

Anna merely responded with a simple light shove and a pouty face. Truly, Anna had never really changed. She was still that little girl thirteen years ago. And that was something that Elsa wished she could say the same for herself. At least for a lot of herself. She was still fun, at least she thought so, but she was also different as well.

So Elsa waved her hand and a snowball found the back of Anna's head. Her sister was momentarily shocked, but then she bent down to quickly make a snowball and throw it at Elsa. But just as it was about to hit the snow queen, Elsa quickly shifted her head to the side.

"Anna," Elsa warned, "You really want to pick a snowball fight with me? You know I can't lose, right?"

"I won't go down without a fight," Anna said with mock-defiance, "I will defeat you or go down trying."

"I will gladly witness you kneeling at my feet," Elsa grinned evilly. "And your punishment will be most severe."

Anna squeaked a bit before ducking for cover, which was stark due to the fact that there was little cover to begin with. Elsa continued her grin as she pursued Anna, taking care to not bump into anyone all the while tracking her sister's movements, summoning snow balls. She carefully watched as Anna futilely tried to evade. But once she was clear of a crowd, Elsa took aim and threw her snowballs with her powers.

The first three hit her on the back. The fourth struck her behind her head. The princess turned around at that moment and was met with a fifth to her cheek. Elsa carried a look of utter smug satisfaction.

"I have you where I want you Princess Anna," Elsa pressed, "You would do well to surrender. Perhaps I will be merciful."

"Never," Anna stifled a laugh.

"So be it," Elsa said and she lunged for Anna.

Before the younger sister could do anything, Elsa was aiming for her ticklish spots. As Anna struggled to get away, Elsa tickled more. Eventually, it was too much for the princess to take and she stumbled into a snow pile. Elsa put her hands on her hips and watched Anna still recovering.

After some breaths a few coughs, Anna finally had the endurance to look at Elsa who carried a triumphant look.

"Do you submit now?"

"Alright, I will surrender and accept your conditions."

Elsa reached for her sister and pulled her to her feet.

"The conditions are these: you will never try to resist me when in a snowball fight."

Elsa pulled Anna closer.

"Second: you will see Kristoff now. I'm sure he'd appreciate the company. And third..."

Anna gave her sister her full undivided attention.

"Be sure to laugh every day."

Anna separated from Elsa and motioned into a mock-bow.

"Your majesty," Anna said, "It would be my most sincere pleasure to see to your whims."

"See to it that you do," Elsa spoke.

With that, Anna give a smile before turning in search the Ice Master. Elsa watched, the happy feeling that she felt never leaving her.

 **It's been a little bit, so I'll do a quick tell of what's to come. Hanzo won't meet the gang for at least several more chapters. And these moments of family are going to be critical in later chapters.**

 **If you approved of this chapter, let me know in a review. If you hated it, let me know why. If you have anything else to offer me, send it my way.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and remember, love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.**

 **Peace out!**


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